Generation Alpha: Stepping Away from the Screen 

They’re either chatting online, posting online, or gazing mindlessly into a screen.

The question many parents quietly (or not so quietly) ask themselves is: How do we help our children step away from the virtual world fed to them by their devices, and back into the real one, the world where we connect face-to-face with other people?

A survey by the Harris Poll, which followed more than 500 children aged 8 to 12 in the United States, tracked their phone habits. The results? Most already owned a smartphone, and half of the 10–12-year-olds were regularly using social media.

Surprisingly, the survey revealed that children have far more freedom online than they do in real life. If they’re not scrolling through social media, they’re “playing” online games; sometimes with friends, sometimes with strangers. When asked if they were allowed to meet friends in public without adults present, most said no. Many had never played unsupervised, cycled freely in the street, or spent an afternoon exploring a park without an adult hovering nearby.

And even if they were allowed, there’s another hurdle: time. Between tutoring, school sport, ballet, swimming, gymnastics, and other scheduled activities, there’s little room for the simple joy of unstructured play.

Yet, that is exactly what children in this age group crave, time to play freely with their friends. This type of play is far from frivolous; it teaches them to share, to resolve conflicts, to explore nature, and to grow in confidence. In fact, it’s a foundation for developing emotional intelligence, a skill that will serve them for life.

Another point worth considering is the example we set. How often do we find ourselves scrolling through our phones when we should be watching the netball match, the cricket game, or the ballet recital? We can’t expect our children to be fully present if we’re not showing them how it’s done. Being available and attentive when they need us speaks far louder than any lecture about screen time.

Interestingly, most of the children surveyed said they would rather visit a friend than play with their devices. A game of cricket in the driveway or bouncing on a trampoline won hands down over posting updates to social media.

Perhaps, then, the belief that children are “addicted” to their devices needs a rethink. The truth may be that we, as parents, are nudging them in that direction. Our fears for their safety are real, and the world does hold dangers, but in trying to protect them, we sometimes close off the very freedoms they need.

So maybe it’s time to take a step back. Allow them to play, to explore, to have a little safe freedom. In short – LET THEM just be.

Reference:

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2025/08/kids-smartphones-play-freedom/683742/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR7KtOuvms9v-Jd9N9Z01bTDseFFtjQErtpf7n_cAzl4wsZewS-lhCWWEK5S_g_aem_X1Jw84oUcKpOyKLX4x4IVA