Being part of Gen Alpha is pretty cool, but also 100% weird. Sure, I use gadgets a lot, but it’s mostly because of school stuff. When I think about my classmates, especially from my old school, I feel like we’re doing okay in some ways—most of us can read, write and talk well for our grade. But the way some of them act? That’s a whole other story.
Not everyone is bad, obviously. Most of my classmates are nice and fun to be around. But I’ve noticed how the internet is kind of messing with some kids’ heads. There’s this thing called ‘brain rot’ I’ve heard about online, and honestly, it feels real. Like, a lot of boys are obsessed with random, weird stuff like Skibidi Toilet. It’s funny at first, but then they start acting like it’s the only thing that matters. They’ll argue, fight or even disrupt class because of something silly they saw in a meme or video. Thank God I shifted to a new school.
It’s not just the boys, though. The girls are kind of falling into the same trap, but in different ways. A lot of them are getting super into makeup and beauty stuff, even though we’re still young. It’s like they think they need to wear makeup to look good, and sometimes it feels like it’s all they care about. They watch beauty influencers online and suddenly everyone’s worried about their skin, their hair, their clothes, and it’s like they’re forgetting there’s more to life than looking perfect. Some of them will even try to do makeup in class or act like it’s the most important thing in the world.
It’s weird because it’s almost like some girls think they must look grown-up before their time, but we’re still just kids! I get that wanting to look good is fine, but the pressure they feel to wear makeup or look a certain way is a little too much sometimes.
It is also the little kids too. I’ve noticed how little kids get so addicted to Coco melon and other videos. At first, it seems harmless—bright colours, catchy songs, and it keeps them entertained. But some kids can’t even eat or sleep without it. They get hooked on the fast-paced videos, which train their brains to need constant stimulation. This can mess with their attention spans, making it harder for them to focus on slower, calmer activities like playing or learning later.
It’s not just about being silly, though. Some kids get really distracted, like their minds are always racing. It feels like more and more of us have ADHD or something similar. It’s like we’re so used to fast, loud, and flashy stuff online that sitting still and focusing feels impossible for some people. Even I sometimes feel
like my attention span is shorter than it should be. How are we supposed to learn or grow when our brains are wired to need constant entertainment?
And then there’s the darker side. A lot of kids are being exposed to really bad stuff—like 18+ content, violence, or even horrible things their favourite characters are doing. It’s so scary because they don’t even realize how much it’s changing them. It is all because almost everything is readily available at one click and even, we don’t want to watch something suggestions show up when we randomly are doing some academic research.
Needless to say, our language, the way we talk is definitely getting effected and the entire generation has come up with their own vocabulary.
We’re supposed to be the future leaders, right? But how can we do that when so many of us are distracted, confused, or being influenced by stuff that’s bad for us? It’s not even all our fault. The world we’re growing up in is tough. The internet, social media, games, and even how sometimes parents handle things—it’s all affecting us. Schools can’t do everything when this stuff is following kids home and everywhere.
But it’s not all bad. I think our generation has a ton of potential. We have access to so many resources and tools that other generations couldn’t even imagine. But potential is tricky—it can lead to something amazing or something terrible. It depends on how we’re taught, who we look up to, and how we use the
things we have.
The problem is a lot of kids don’t even realize what’s happening to them. They see something online, think it’s cool, and start acting like that without really understanding what they’re doing. It’s like they’re losing their ability to think for themselves or be kind to others. It’s frustrating to watch.
But I don’t think it’s hopeless. There are still a lot of kids who care about doing the right thing and want to make things better. What we need are better role models—people we can look up to, online and offline. Parents, teachers, and communities need to step up and help us figure out how to handle the internet and
everything else responsibly. And we need to help each other too. It’s a collective effort and I am not denying that all the stakeholders aren’t trying. What our generation needs is a mindful usage of resources and accepting guidance from our elders.
I notice how young kids of age 3-4 are also prone to such content when they randomly keep swiping videos and watch shorts that are not even appropriate for their age. But the question is why is such
content so readily available? I just hope to work in Google someday to filter out all those unnecessary content that’s just wasting our potential and just pop up even if they are not advisable for particular age.
Sometimes, I feel like I’m too young to make a difference, but even little things can matter. If I can help one person think or act differently, maybe it can spread and turn into something bigger. We have a lot of problems, but we also have a lot of chances to fix them. We just need to try.
August, 2024
