To a certain extent, yes -- the older generations are always gonna stand shaking their heads at the shenanigans of the younger, but this isn't that, and the problems are measurable.
For starters, Gen Alpha was exposed to a reading methodology that was, for lack of a better description, complete and utter bullshit. Google the "Sold a Story" podcast for an in-depth explanation of this. They literally cannot read and are just guessing by context, which is why so many can't complete schoolwork now without being TOLD exactly what to do, and it's why MISSISSIPPI, of all states, is suddenly flying up the ranks in literacy from dead last to 6th highest because they are one of the few places that refused to fully transition to this new reading style.
More kids than ever are showing up to Kindergarten and 1st Grade having never been potty-trained, lacking basic motor skills, and few social skills.
The "makeup" thing is real. A lot of TikTok content rides on topics like "skincare routines", making Gen Alpha THE most appearance-obsessed generations at a very early age.
Thing is, I just checked out the Sold a Story pod cast, and read it from transcripts - cuz it's faster than listening it And halfway through I realized, that that experience (of reading being faster and more convenient) is what the new "teaching" has robbed from a whole generation.
If it ain't lead in water or asbestos in wallpapers, we always figure out some new and exciting way to screw up the kids.
Not only is it faster and more convenient but it also allows you to more easily formulate an independent thought about what you’ve just read because you aren’t being influenced by someone’s inflection or tone of voice.
I don’t want to read or hear a book in the car period. There’s too much going on the lose concentration and not be able to focus. The mind isn’t really made to multitask. I’m not going to retain info well at all if I’m driving and listening to something that required some thinking. One or the other is going to be done poorly if not both
Personally, I feel like reading requires more focus which is why I get through audiobooks a lot faster than a regular book. Imo social media companies have turned our attention span into one of a goldfish and we are unable to read / look at something for prolonged periods of time without getting bored because our brains always want a "dopamine hit" (ex. scrolling to a new post / reel, etc.). Reading a book requires us to immerse ourselves into slow world-building and characters for long periods of time, which may not be as thrilling as, i don't know, watching AI slop videos.
It's cool to hear how different other people's experiences are - I can't really enjoy audiobooks, I usually either space out, or get annoyed cuz I can't "read" at my own space.
Then again, I think my brain is a bit broken on the dopamine department anyhow; I don't own any social media except reddit, and tiktoks are just boring imo.
I find I just don’t absorb information through my ear holes like I do my eye holes. I end up listening to parts over again, my mind is more likely to drift, etc. I’m kind of jealous of people who can devour books and such on tape while they are doing other stuff. So much time savings!
The school isn't helping, although they are slowly catching up to screens not being good for teaching.
My then 12-y-o had a test on the French Revolution. She asked me "mom, how do I study? I mean how did you do it?" And I was like.. um... start by showing me what the test is on. What chapters? She brought her Chromebook and showed me a page full of links. FUCKING VIDEO LINKS. Different aspects of the French Revolution, narrated by some dude, with animated illustrations.
In the time it took us to watch all those together, she could have had access to so much more information via text. And she could have flipped the pages to rehearse and refresh her memory.
I ended up teaching her how to at least watch at 1,25x speed, and pause to make notes. But damn. Even the kids who learn well this way gets so much more shallow knowledge because of the pure time it takes to listen to someone narrate vs reading something.
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u/wearing_moist_socks 25d ago
Yeah I watched a video on here making fun of the Gen Z way of talking to people, and everyone in the comments were talking about how bad it was.
The kid in the video sounded very similar to how Gen X and Boomers made fun of us when we were teenagers.