PRIMARY QUESTIONNAIRE

PRIMARY RESEARCHQUESTIONNAIRE

In order for me to gain a better understanding of the role technology plays in the lives of generation alpha kids, a primary research questionnaire was conducted. This survey was based on data from people who are parents of generation alpha kids (children aged 12 and under). All data shown will be completely anonymous and only used for education and research purposes.

This first question asked to generation alpha parents was “At what age do you think your child should have a smartphone/ tablet?”. The answers from this question ranged from 10-12 years with the most common answer being 11 years old. Many parents also said that smartphones help to calm their children down or help them stay entertained. 80% of the people in the survey said their child’s smartphone or tablet is their favourite toy.

In relation to the first question the survey asked “At what age did your child start to use technology/ understand how to use it?”. The majority of answers were 6 years old with some ranging from 6-8. Parents stated that their children are being taught how to use technology in school from an early age to help with their education. This supports how generation alpha are tech savvy and already very technologically immersed. This also shows how this generation are very quick learners. The next question also coincides with this one as it is “Would you say your child has a good understanding of technology?”. As previously stated, the kids of generation alpha are being taught how to use technology in school so It was no surprise that parents said their children are fluent in the understanding of technology. This is a great example of how members of generation alpha will be immersed in technology their entire lives from a very early age. Although they are taught how to use technology in school, parents questioned stated that their children taught themselves a lot about the tech they are using.

“Does your child follow any social media trends?” was the next question in the survey. The most common answer to this was that they do and the trend every parent said was TikTok. The parents of generation alpha said their children love creating short videos of them lip-syncing, skits and dancing. Parents also said TikTok has helped their child stay connected to their peers outside of school in a fun way.

The next question in the survey was “Do you think technology has helped improve your child’s learning/education?” All the parents in the survey said that technology and the internet has helped their child to perform better in school. They said that technology has helped their children academically, for example their reading and language has been improved. This shows how technology and social media can play a positive part in generation alphas’ life. Following on from this the survey asked “Do you think technology has a positive impact on your child’s life?” to get their viewpoint on the matter. As expected, every answer to this question was Yes. Parents said that technology and social media has helped their relationship with their kids as well as the relationship their kids have with their peers.

Furthermore, parents said that technology has helped their kids connect with their peers in a new and positive way. However, some parents said that in order for their child’s experience with technology to remain positive they have ways of protecting them from certain things online. For example limiting their screen time and adding content filters so as to not be exposed to adult content.

In conclusion, this survey has been very insightful and educational to the author. This primary research has helped to support the essay with relation to technology shaping generation alpha’s lives.