Technology has become the best friend of millions of Spanish children in times of confinement. And not just for entertainment, but also for education. Thus, 9 out of 10 parents in Spain believe that the technology used by their children will benefit them in their future professional careers, although 7 out of 10 have expressed concerns about the time they spend in front of screens.

These are, in fact, Understanding the Alpha Generation: What should parents say? The main conclusions of the so-called research. The survey, conducted by the global communications agency Hotwire on 1,000 Spanish parents and 8,000 worldwide, examines the impact of technology on the Alpha generation, specifically children born after 2010.

According to this study, Spanish parents believe that technology will help them develop skills to succeed in the work they do tomorrow. Thus, 58.9% of parents believe that cognitive speed, eye-hand coordination (50.4%) and problem-solving ability (48.5%) will help them.

Vicente Balbastre, Director of Consumer Communication, explained: "Some research has shown that certain video games can help children achieve better results in mental tests. Probably because they have improved their visual skills. They usually appear in tests of this type. problem solving skills are tested ".

The original digital generation

Children who have just started walking on all fours and children who are able to discard a text message on their iPhone because they are unable to watch the latest episode of Peppa Pig, reaching out to seven-year-olds who create their own movies and music videos. This generation is much further away than the previous ones in terms of the natural abilities to use technology.

Moreover, parents are very aware of this new reality. The vast majority believe that by the time children are 10 years old, they will surpass their ability to use new technologies, either on electronic devices or on social networks. Specifically, 54% of Spanish parents believe that when their child is 10 years old there will be a big gap between them due to the high knowledge of children in technology.

In this regard, Hotwire consumer communication expert added: "The new generation of young people has no precedent for tackling technology. Alpha Generation is a term coined by researcher Mark McCrindle, aimed at children born after 2010. They have a new way to play, learn and interact. These children were born at a time when technological devices are becoming faster, everything is connected, and physical and digital come together in a world.As they age, technologies that seemed new or foreign to them will become part of their lives, experiences, attitudes and hopes for the world around them. Some neuroscientists and psychologists believe that their minds will also be different compared to previous generations. "

Increasingly separated from screens?

Although it is difficult to see a child separately from the screen of a tablet or mobile phone, and much more now, it is true that this research calls this perception into question. Thus, children in the Alpha generation have to spend an average of 3.6 hours in front of smartphone or tablet screens, while parents spend 7.4 hours a week on “millennials - millennials” and booms on children over 6 years old. 6.1 hours. Just as the gurus of Silicon Valley began to remove children from media screens, like diet, this trend may have spread to the rest of the population.

"In an increasingly changing world, it's important for brands to know their audience, world concerns and perceptions. At Hotwire, we implement our communication strategies to connect brands with consumers, but first we need to know them more deeply. That's why research can speak to these new audiences. we use them, using the right approaches and channels, ”added Vicente Balbastre.