Summary of Findings
Generation alpha has two main use cases for computers: schoolwork and video games. They're able to get by with schoolwork, but they don't have much reason to learn more about how to use computers, especially when there's a tech office at their school, a librarian to print things out for them, and a teacher to ask any immediate questions to. Their technological literacy may also be limited due to their age.
Most of these children either use a family computer or only ever use their school laptop. They may conflate websites with apps or not know about common file extensions. They have trouble printing things and may seek help to do so. They seem to use Windows 10 as often as Windows 11, though some may have no clue what their operating system even is. However, they are more literate than you might think - they use adblockers about as frequently as their zoomer peers, they organize their files in a similar amount of detail, and they have similar habits when trying to troubleshoot an issue.
Two other things: on the topic of games, they'll often play them in fullscreen, even while at school. They also prefer to save time when navigating the internet and may trust the first thing they see with the answer they're looking for, even if it's an AI overview.
While they aren't as literate as the generation before them when it comes to computers, do not underestimate gen alpha. Not only do they know what they're doing already, but things may also change in the future as they slowly become the new teenagers of the world.
Appendix
(For the images, right click and press "Open Link in New Tab" for a fullscreen view)
- Spreadsheet where I graded survey responses
- Interview (not embedded due to file size)
- Photos:
- Field Notes:
- Bibliography
- Working Bibliographies:
