Gen Alpha has a problem.
All children currently eligible for the kids’ menu (12 and under) have been raised by parents who have had access to modern technology most of their lives. They have the reputation of being addicted to screens exceeding previous generations.
They are known as iPad Kids. If you believe the memes, these screen-addicted youngsters cannot sit through a feature film without playing Brawl Stars with their Cheeto fingers on their devices, much less communicate with their siblings and parents during a white tablecloth dinner at a restaurant.
Numerous hidden camera videos document egregious instances of the iPad Kid phenomenon on TikTok and other social media outlets, but my favorite is one in which a family of six is at a sit-down restaurant and all four children are glued to their screens, not even bothering to interact with each other.
While the memes and vlogs are funny, the underlying problem of toddler and tween screen addiction may lead to a future generation that cannot function properly in society.
But the children aren’t the only problem. We can blame the generation raising them.
In the late 2000s, Apple released both the iPhone and the iPad. Today, the world is watching the first generation hooked on technology now trying to navigate parenthood.
With parents addicted to their own phones, many are too busy to notice their own children’s addiction. This generational inattention causes parents to overlook academic and social struggles.
The general population has become increasingly concerned about the intelligence of Gen Alpha. American literacy rates have fallen to the lowest since 1990. Studies show worsening language skills are, in part, due to access to electronic devices and social media at a young age.
We can also blame the pandemic. CNN Health found that screen times doubled for children, and the problem has only gotten worse.
In modern parenting, calming a crying child or disciplining a kid with a screen displaying Coco Melon or Peppa Pig has prevented parents from curbing their children’s screen time, which risks stunting the cognitive and social development of young children. This lack of attention by parents and distraction among children create a household dependent on screens.
As a person who received her first cell phone in high school and is restricted by numerous screen time limits, I appreciate my parents’ efforts to provide a genuine, connected upbringing. Without those limitations, I might not have had the childhood memories of rollerblading to school or baking or playing in the sandbox.
Today I see children constantly on their screen at restaurants, at school and even on playgrounds.
Studies have shown that kids are increasingly reliant on their devices. This is because children have adapted to regulating emotions with screens rather than by interacting with their parents. The development of a child requires parental involvement and interaction, but with both parties preoccupied with their devices, the child receives neither. Over 85% of parents admit to providing their young child with connections to technology, and the majority of those young children are on devices for more than two hours per day.
This “gentle parenting” lacks the rules and discipline a parent needs to raise a mature and well-mannered child.
The recent uptick in screen time among children has caught the attention of Gen Z social media users. On my feed, I have witnessed countless infuriated teens and social workers as they vent their encounters: teachers complain about undisciplined students, receptionists deal with insolent children and restaurant employees try to manage out-of-control kids. These videos suggest we should ensure Gen Alpha learns manners and the respect needed to function in society.
It’s important for us, Gen Z, not to fall into the trap when we have children one day. Childhood is the time for kids to experience the real world, and it would be a shame to lose precious moments to a bunch of screens.
