Introduction and Hypothesis

In this ethnography, I chose to survey how well generation alpha knew how to use computers.

A common stereotype among that generation is the "iPad kid," a child who spends all their free time doing things on an iPad, often throwing a fit if they need to stop to do things like eat a meal. I observed something similar when my 7-year-old cousin came to visit - she would steal her grandmother's phone to watch TikToks. Therefore, I wanted to know if this perceived acclimatization towards technology was an uneven acclimatization, and computer skills were lacking among generation alpha. My assumption going in was that this would be the case.

For this study, I defined generation alpha as anyone born between 2012 and 2025. Most people I surveyed were born in 2012 out of practicality, as I go to a 7-12 school and current seventh graders would've been born then. Familiarity with computers was defined based on numerous factors, but broadly as how well a child could navigate and effectively use a computer, especially productively. Knowing multiple ways to do something and being comfortable with them were key aspects I was looking for when judging someone's familiarity with computers.

Question: How does generation alpha use computers? What aspects of it are they most familiar with?

Hypothesis: Their tech knowledge is mostly in the sphere of phones and tablets. They'll struggle with computers.