An overview of generation alpha

Abstract

Demographers and social scientists have named generations with different letters over the last 50 years, and it has always been a concern for educationalists to examine the characteristics of generations to fully understand their needs, preferences or tendencies in the learning environment. Starting with the silent generation, Baby Boomers, Generation X, Generation Y, and Generation Z have attracted the attention of a large environment. Considering the technological advances and scientific developments in years, we face the indisputable fact that each generation comes with its original and distinctive characteristics. Among the generations, Generation Alpha, known as tech thumbs, has deserved the careful consideration of educationalists in recent years. This chapter focuses on Generation Alpha, which has been present since 2010 - the environment they are born into and the necessary teacher competencies that teachers need to prepare this generation for future. Tracking the characteristics of this special generation in detail will help the teachers gain a broad perspective of Generation Alpha and its most basic and commonly observed features. © 2021 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.