Introduction
Generation Alpha is too young to have any concrete insights into their characteristics although initial findings appear like Gen-Z, partly due to the plethora of technology available to them.
They have lived through the COVID pandemic, which forced millions of people around the world into involuntary isolation, leading them to be the first generation to be entirely educated online.
This generation will be the first generation to experience voice technologies such as Alexa and the applications of AI. At this point it is difficult to see how these will affect these children although the rise of voice interfaces to devices could lead to a further reduction in vocabulary.
Conflicts
One of the main areas of conflict is around communication with older generations such as the Boomer generations preferring personal connections and formal communication, but Gen-Z prefers instant feedback and communication [34]. There has been a gradual migration to preferring instant messaging through the generations with Gen-X appreciating both face-to-face communication and the benefits of instant messaging.
Another similar area of conflict is older generations prefer in-person meetings to discus topics whereas the later generation, especially Gen-Z, prefer face-to-face communication using a video-conferencing.
The increase in social media and video consumption over the generations has led to a 25% fall in attention spans but also a preference for visual information rather than textual information of previous generations. This could lead to frustrations on if any training material is heavily biased towards text-based learning.
Structure and hierarchy were the main staple of the older generations but over the years this has become flatter with the younger generations tending to see everyone’s contribution as valid [36].
Younger generations tend to seek flexibility in their workplace with emphasis on achieving objectives rather than the number of hours worked. Older generation may prefer a more structured approach where they work a set number of hours in view of their manager.
Views on diversity in the workplace is can also be an area of tension between the older generations and the younger generations. Traditional management hierarchies in the workplaces from the past mainly consisted of cis-white-heterosexual men whereas the younger generations are now looking for inclusive and fairer environments to work. In a recent report it was found that there are some stark contrasts in the importance of diversity and acceptance in the UK.
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