Generation Alpha, i.e. children born after 2010, are growing up in a world connected by digital technology and social networks. This generation is the first to be born "with a mobile phone in their hand" and therefore short videos, fast visual communication and constant comparison with peers define their everyday life. Events in recent years, including the epidemic, wars and changing parental attitudes, have also had a significant impact on their behaviour. The factors impacting the lives of this youngest generation were explored by ResSolution Group in its Born to Scroll study: How Generation Alpha is changing the language and logic of shopping. It was presented at a meeting with partners last week.
Of these, more than a third (35%, almost 600,000 in absolute numbers) are children aged 10-14, the age group the study focused on. It was conducted on a representative sample of more than a thousand children aged 10-14 years quantitatively (CAWI) and complemented by qualitative in-depth interviews with 20 respondents (ten online dyadic conversations).
The research revealed differences between boys and girls as well as between younger (10-12) and older children (13-14). Leisure time is most often spent in a combination of digital entertainment, social activities and sports. Boys combine sports and gaming, while girls combine creative activities (bracelet making, painting) and social media watching. All children spend a lot of time on social media and YouTube, which serves as a backdrop to other activities. Some play sports intensively, others only occasionally "to avoid sitting on their phones". There is also shopping, collecting and rarely reading.
Favourite brands and perceptions of advertising
For children,brands represent not only quality or price, but above all a social symbol and a way of fitting in or establishing a position in a peer group. Among the spontaneously named brands across the Alpha generation, global brands such as Coca-Cola or Apple were mentioned within their categories, while Kofola was the Czech brand; sports brands such as Adidas, Nike, Puma, technology brands such as Samsung, Xiaomi and cosmetics brands such as Nivea, dm drogerie and Dermacol were also mentioned.
According to Generation Alfa, a good advertisement is one that is funny, fast, properly targeted and with pleasant music. In the opinion of Generation Alpha, advertisements should be entertaining and catch the eye right from the start. More than two-thirds realize that most influencer recommendations are advertising.
The study also revealed several key insights about how today's kids shop and who influences them. The research identifies several distinct segments by shopping behavior (trend setters, followers, pragmatists, savers) and describes the differences between them. In general, friends and classmates are most important in purchase decisions for all Generation Alpha groups. Only for the younger group are parents more important than for the older group. Specifically for the younger boys, the two are comparable. And while kids don't often cite influencers as their main inspiration, they end up buying brands that their favorite creators use.
YouTube reigns supreme among videos and networks
Electronic communication is the dominant media activity, and is the main daily leisure activity for girls (71% of younger girls, 81% of older girls) and older boys (71%). Younger boys spend most of their free time playing electronic games. Half of children aged 10-14 spend time on social networks every day, and less than three quarters at least once a week. As expected, the use of social networking sites exceeds that of older children, where only 4% of children do not use social networking sites. The most used are YouTube, which is visited at least once a week by 89% of 10-14 year olds, and WhatsApp (88%).
At the same time, it is noticeable that children are leaving linear TV as they get older. Younger children still partly watch children's programmes, but older children are switching to YouTube, Netflix and social networks. For entertainment, children are mainly opening up YouTube, TikTok and Instagram and streaming services.
Source: mediaguru.cz