We’ve all seen communities, governments and organizations work towards improving the quality of life for people of all ages – from baby boomers, Gen X, millennials, all the way to Gen Z. But latest research reveals that there is actually a newer generation that exists today, and this is where our youngsters aged 10 and below belong, Generation Alpha. Today we chat with Ashley Fell to learn more about Generation Alpha, what sets them apart from the older generations, ways to better understand, connect, and engage with them, and how we as parents can teach our Gen Alpha kids to thrive in these rapidly changing times and prepare them for the future.

Ashley Fell is a social researcher, author, TEDx speaker and Director of Communications at the internationally recognized McCrindle Research company. From topics including future trends, business insights, leadership and communication skills, Ashley delivers over 50 visually engaging, tailored and research-based presentations annually for corporate, government and not-for-profit clients in Australia and overseas. As a generational expert, Ashley’s expertise is in training and equipping leaders and teams on how to lead across generational divides, particularly, Gen Y, popularly known as millennials, Gen Z, and now the newest generation, Generation Alpha.

Key Learnings:

Tune in to our conversation and learn about:

• What led Ashley to do the work that she’s doing at McCrindle Research
• Who is Generation Alpha and where did the name for this generation come from?
• Why organizations, parents, and educators need to research and understand Generation Alpha
• How Ashley describes this current generation and their distinct characteristics and abilities
• How the Coronavirus global pandemic is shaping Generation Alpha in unique ways?
• How we can use this current situation as a learning opportunity for our kids to develop their critical thinking skills, creativity, adaptability, and resilience
• What Generation Alpha kids expect of this world and how it can lead us to better connect and engage with them
• What TLDR means and how we can cut through information overload and make an impact with our messaging
• Why organizations should focus on authentic, people-centered storytelling and creating short, simple, and engaging content?
• Why instilling a positive mindset and positive self-belief in our kids is so important especially in our world today

Take Home Messages for Parents, Carers, and Educators who Have or are Working with Gen Alpha Children:

1. Take the time to understand them. Stop and look at the world around us and the changes that are impacting this generation, the technologies, and realize that it’s quite a different world to the one we knew or grew up in as kids.
2. Know that even though our kids may face challenges with technology, they are actually well-positioned to thrive in this world and we as parents have a real opportunity to help them do that.
3. Continue to adapt to the changing times and make small modifications on how we teach the leaders in the next generation.

Quotes:

On the crucial life skills we need to teach our Generation Alpha kids to better equip them for the future: “Perseverance, resilience, adaptability, curiosity, and the ability to be lifelong learners is really important to instill in Generation Alpha.”

On how being vulnerable can help us connect better with this generation: “As adults, we have that false pretense to feel like our kids must think that we know it all, and sometimes that can be harder to connect with them. But by being vulnerable in the right different circumstances, we let them know that we care about them and we can help them. We want to be able to connect and break down those barriers that might exist between generations and people of all ages.”

On how we can provide a safe space for our kids to facilitate curiosity, making mistakes, and learning: “The ability to fail directly leads to ability to innovate, and that’s really key for organizations and personal success. So, as long as we have moments where we can teach and bring kids into the conversation, help them come up with the solution, help them contribute something and collaborate, and make sure that they know it’s okay to fail, that we can try again, and do things in different ways is really key to their development as a citizen of this world.”

Links:

If you want to know more about Ashley Fell and the work she does at McCrindle, check out their website: https://mccrindle.com.au/

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PODCAST DISCLAIMER

Any information and links presented within the Chatabout Children™ with Sonia Bestulic podcast are aimed to provide general information and advice only.
Information is to be used at the discretion of the consumer/ listener. The information presented does not replace or substitute the expert advice received from a direct consultation with the relevant qualified professional.