Gen Alpha is worse
Every year, upperclassmen claim that incoming freshmen are worse than them. With Gen Alpha, those born in or later than 2010, now making up the majority of the class of 2028, this year is no exception. Although Gen Alpha kids seem like they fit in with Gen Z, there are glaring differences between the Generations.
Gen Alpha brought the wave of so-called “iPad kids” who are highly absorbed in their screens, often watching mind-numbing content dubbed as brain rot. A popular example of this is “Skibidi Toilet,” which depicts absurd battles between toilets with human heads trying to take over humanity and people with electronic devices for heads.
If that sounds ridiculous, it’s because it is, and Gen Alpha is at the forefront of this brain rot. In their own terms, Gen Alpha is “cooked.”
This has created a laughably short attention span among Gen Alpha, with many being addicted to the constant stimulation of technology and the constant dopamine rush of short-form content like TikTok or Youtube Shorts.
It’s unhealthy that elementary school kids are already doomscrolling like they are having a midlife crisis. I bet half of the Gen Alpha readers can’t even get through this article without Subway Surfers and an AI voiceover.
With all their time spent drowned in screens, Gen Alpha kids are not properly equipped to handle social interactions, leading to some awkward interactions.
“I have a student that calls me ‘chat,’” private tutor who works with many from Gen Alpha Daniel Ahn said. “I don’t know why but he always greets me with ‘Hey chat.’”
No matter how much Gen Alpha tries to fit in, Gen Alpha will always be incomparable to all of the previous generations. Maybe these differences will finally make them a “sigma,” but regardless, Gen Alpha and Gen Z will never be the same.
They are very similar
After infecting everything from online media to the human language with “brain rot,” Gen Alpha has earned a mostly negative reputation among its older Gen Z peers. However, despite the stigma associated with the “iPad kid” generation, Gen Z and Gen Alpha are just two sides of the same coin.
Most of the animosity towards Gen Alpha comes from their collection of immature memes and internet content, but what Gen Z fails to realize is that their childhoods were shaped in a similar way.
According to numerous YouTube videos from creators such as Lessons in Meme Culture and Weezle which compare Gen Z and Gen Alpha memes, the virality, spread and popularity of memes from 2021-24 bear a strong resemblance to memes from 2011-17. This includes Gen Z memes such as Nyan Cat, Illuminati and Ugandan Knuckles, which parallel Gen Alpha memes such as Mewing, Smurf Cat and Omega Nugget. In addition, the uses of bright, saturated colors and loud sound effects are used extensively in popular media from both eras.
Likewise, slang is a common aspect of “brain rot” shared between the generations. Gen Z slang such as “bussin,” “that’s cap” and “drip” are comparable to Gen Alpha’s recent introductions of “skibidi,” “what the sigma” and “rizz.”
Yet, internet influences aren’t the only thing tying both groups together; it’s easy to forget that there’s a minimal time difference between the height of media distribution for both generations.
“It’s sometimes hard to realize that my friend’s little brother and all his Gen Alpha bros will be raiding this campus in a year,” junior Madison To said. “It’s strange to think that there’s only a four-year gap between me and that little kid.”
Though Gen Alpha and Gen Z have their differences, it isn’t fair to argue that one is worse than the other. So the next time you come across someone asking if they can “fanum tax” some of your fries, try not to be too hard on them.
