Conclusion

With this study, I wanted to find out how technologically literate generation alpha was with using computers. My hypothesis was that it would be low, as they would prefer phones and tablets over computers.

My findings supported one part of my hypothesis: they do in fact struggle with using computers. However, this generation actually varies wildly from person to person in whether they use computers more or less than phones and tablets.

I collected a lot of data, but throughout all of it, I thought to myself, "how would you even quantify this stuff on a large scale?" I'm not some research company that seeks out info so it can serve ads - I'm some junior in high school who could see maybe twenty seventh graders at best. My sample size was rather small, but that was mostly out of practicality. It was hard to figure out the literacy of every single kid, and I don't know what I'd do if I had more than twelve survey responses I was actually looking at for the survey.

Not only were there issues in sample size, but also with the kids I surveyed. All but one were born in 2012, and the other was only a few years younger than that. Further studies might be necessary to get a broader picture.

I kind of wished I asked more questions about what games they played and how familiar they were with phones, as I primarily focused my research on their ability to productively use computers. However, this would've raised the scope far too high for a final project in a semester-long course. I'm happy with what I did learn, though! This was a very insightful ethnography and I do not regret making it.