Born and raised with screens, digital activities play a significant role in the daily routines of Generation Alpha kids. A Morning Consult survey reveals that 54% of parents report their Gen Alpha child spends up to four hours a day on social media, a level similar to that of younger Gen Z members.
The research indicates that 65% of older Gen Alpha kids, aged 8-10, spend up to four hours daily on social media, while 56% of young Gen Z members, aged 13-17, do the same. However, 41% of 13-17-year-olds exceed four hours on social networks every day, while a third of 8-10-year-olds never use them.
Social media has become an essential part of even the youngest North American children’s lives, as 24% of under-fours spend over an hour daily on social platforms. In comparison, 22% of under-fours spend less than an hour a day on social media, while 34% of five to seven-year-olds spend an hour or more and 17% spend less.
The study reveals that video streaming is the norm for Gen Alpha kids, with half of parents stating their youngest child watches content on a video streaming platform at least once a day. This surpasses reading books (40%) and playing video games (37%). Popular streaming platforms among Gen Alpha kids include YouTube, Disney+, and Netflix.
However, digital activities represent just a fraction of the interests of Gen Alpha children. While 36% of parents report their kids prefer indoor screen time, 55% choose outdoor activities. This trend shifts as children grow older, transitioning from the 5-7 age group to the 8-10 age group, according to the research.
Morning Consult notes, “Though social media isn’t in the top three activities for the entire Gen Alpha group, it becomes more significant for Alphas aged 8-10, ranking just behind streaming video and playing video games.” – AFP Relaxnews
*Surveys were conducted from October 16 to 29, 2023, among a representative sample of 1,002 Generation Z members aged 13 to 26, and from January 3 to 18, 2024, among a representative sample of 2,007 parents of children under 11.
