Generation Alpha is the generation that follows Generation Z and includes anyone born between the years 2010-2024. As we make the transition from Gen Z to Gen Alpha, it is interesting to consider how communication techniques have changed for Gen Z and to look ahead to how Gen Alpha will choose to interact with each other in the future.

Communication is getting faster and more direct with every generation. If we look back, communication has moved from letters, to phone calls and emails, to text messages and now to social media apps like Snapchat and Instagram. Each progression has led to shorter, more frequent and more direct contact between people; 75% of Gen Z prefer texting rather than speaking over the phone. Attention spans are decreasing rapidly as generations go on. Gen Z has an attention span of just 8 seconds compared to older generations who come in at 12 seconds. We can assume that Gen Alpha will continue this trend, leading to communication getting even shorter and more casual.

Another change that we have seen in the way people communicate is that everything has become more visual. Social media platforms that are more popular with older generations, such as Twitter and Facebook, are more text based, as adding images is optional. The leading social media platform amongst the younger generations today is Instagram, where posting a photo is compulsory. Snapchat, a social media platform in which people can communicate through images, has also become one of the leading messengers, with it reaching 90% of Gen Z.

Gen Z is the most diverse generation yet, with many having friends all over the world who first connected online. Modern communication allows Gen Alpha to maintain more relationships worldwide, with the issue of distance becoming less significant. COVID 19 also encouraged a lot of people to keep in touch with others from afar through platforms such as Zoom and FaceTime. For older generations, this feels new. This sort of communication for Gen Alpha is like the mobile phone for Generation Z.