The recent occurrence of children developing certain skills differently than other generations, and why it’s happening

Arshita Sunnam, Staff Writer

The Flynn Effect describes a phenomenon where each generation becomes progressively smarter than the last typically resulting in a 3.3% higher average IQ per decade. However, with Generation Alpha, this trend seems to have stopped. In fact, it seems to have reversed completely. Their literacy levels are noticeably lower than the generations before them, their attention spans are significantly shorter, and their emotional regulation is poor. They are more materialistic, display less respect for their parents and authority figures, and lack social etiquette. Why is this happening?

There are some notable differences between Generation Alpha and the generations that came before. Generation Alpha is the first to have grown up fully in an era of smartphones. Everything for them has been digital, and the internet is just a click away. They have unfiltered access to all sorts of content, especially with a rise in inattentive parents who hand their kids an iPad to keep them from being disruptive at home and in public.

This sets off a chain of events: once the parents try to take the iPad away to teach their child self-control, the child throws a fit, resulting in the parent returning the iPad. From that, they learn that all they have to do is fuss to get their iPad back. As a result, they don’t understand how to properly socialize or regulate themselves. Their attention spans shorten because they don’t learn patience. Due to their shorter attention spans, they are spending more and more time watching short videos on social media. This is not exclusive to Generation Alpha: Social media has had a widespread presence in people’s lives due to decreasing attention spans and an increased trend in influencers, among many other factors. 

As a result of influencing being seen as an easy way of income, parents are opting to make a career out of it. To cater to their viewers, parents are choosing to buy aesthetically pleasing products over products that encourage proper child development. These newfound tendencies stunt a child's growth and can have adverse effects. With such trends and the prevalence of social media, parents are taking less of a role in their children's lives and not properly socializing them. This results in children turning to materialistic things for comfort rather than their parents, missing the opportunity to learn things like gratitude, humility, and respect. 

A child is the product of their environment. To prevent such things from being instilled in the newer generation and being carried forward, parents need to pay more attention to their kids and the way they are growing up. Kids should be a priority -- not social media or money. 

Parent your kids better.