Generation Alpha Enters High School: Typical Students in the Technology Era

The 2025-2026 school year marks the milestone of the first generation of Alpha students entering high school - a generation with many outstanding characteristics born and raised in an era of global technology coverage.

"Bathing" in technology

The term “Generation Alpha” first appeared in 2005, when Mark McCrindle used it to describe the demographic group following Generation Z. Today, Generation Alpha is defined as those born between 2010 and 2024 according to most current research, and an important technological milestone during this period is the explosive development and use of artificial intelligence (AI) in everyday life.

For that reason, the outstanding characteristic of Generation Alpha is being "immersed" in digital technology and regularly using AI in learning, according to Tran Thanh Van, a 10th grade student at Nguyen Thi Minh Khai High School (HCMC). "Instead of just reading books and taking notes, we approach more ways of learning such as through projects. Using software to make presentations or design products is no longer too strange to our generation," Van said.

In the 2025-2026 school year, the first generation of Alpha students will enter high school. This is a generation born and raised "immersed" in technology.

PHOTO: NGOC DUONG

Similarly, Vo Thi Xuan Quynh, a 10th grade student at Chau Thanh 1 High School (Dong Thap), said that growing up with technology helps Generation Alpha learn faster and more conveniently. "In just a few seconds, I can look up information, learn through videos , and consult documents online. I also use AI to support my studies, such as practicing English writing, suggesting outlines for essays, or checking spelling and grammar errors. AI also helps me find more creative ideas," Quynh said.

However, this convenience also poses a risk of making students passive if they overuse technology. Therefore, the female student always does her own homework first, then consults AI to make the learning process truly effective. "I want to make sure that I learn something and not depend entirely on the tool," Quynh said.

According to Master Vu Thai Tuan, teacher at the Gifted High School under the National University of Ho Chi Minh City, Generation Alpha grew up in a rapidly changing and positive social context, so they have advantages in adaptability, independent thinking, and a progressive spirit. For this generation, the trend of using AI and other support tools is inevitable, contributing to making learning more effective.

"Generation Alpha uses AI not only to learn faster but also to train logical and systematic thinking. However, a group of students tend to abuse it, thereby limiting their ability to think independently and easily forming a dependent mentality," Mr. Tuan shared, adding that the biggest challenge when accompanying Generation Alpha students in the early stages of high school is what to do to inspire, stimulate their desire to learn and help them maximize their abilities.

"Studying is like playing games"

Master Hong Minh Dam, a psychological consultant at the Student Affairs Department of Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology, said that the Alpha generation clearly shows individualization in learning. "They do not only study to get points but also to serve long-term goals. Not to mention, they also want to find joy in the learning process, turning learning into a journey of discovery of their own," said Mr. Dam.

Generation Alpha uses AI not only to learn faster but also to train logical and systematic thinking. However, some students tend to abuse it, thereby limiting their ability to think independently and easily forming a dependent mentality.

Master Vu Thai Tuan (Gifted High School, Ho Chi Minh City National University)

Tran Nguyen Khoi Nguyen, a 10th grade student at Tran Van Giau High School (HCMC), is a typical example. Nguyen said he enjoys being able to choose the subjects he wants to study in high school, without having to spread them all out. "I think studying is like playing a game, only when I can choose the character I like will I be interested in playing. If I am forced to study everything, I often study just for the sake of it and not really enjoy it," Nguyen said.

The leader of a high school in Ho Chi Minh City shared that after a few weeks of contact with Alpha generation students at the school, he felt that they receive information quickly, but are often caught up in short content, easily distracted and have little patience with reading, writing or in-depth research. The reason, according to him, is because they are exposed to the digital environment and AI from a very early age, so they prefer visual, concise content and instant interaction, rather than slow reading.

"Unlike Generation Z, Generation Alpha students want lessons to be more lively, connected with real-life experiences and technology. They also like to express their opinions through memes (famous images, sayings... on the internet - PV ), hashtags and are very interested in current issues such as environmental protection, mental health and gender equality," the teacher shared.

One limitation this person pointed out is that due to spending more time on screens, many Alpha generation students lack the skills to communicate directly with others and are prone to social anxiety. "There are students who just like to be alone, even when working in groups, they do not want to work together and do not communicate much with others even though they still have good learning ability. Although these cases are only a minority, the rate is higher than before," he said.

Generation Alpha is defined as people born between 2010 and 2024. An important technological milestone during this period is the explosive development and use of artificial intelligence (AI) in everyday life.

Photo: Ngoc Duong

Many challenges for teachers

The world has recently also studied the Alpha generation in the educational environment, notably the research of author Alena Höfrová (Clemson University, USA) and colleagues in the US and Czech Republic, published in the journal Discover Education in 2024. In the work, the group of authors conducted a systematic review based on data from 2,093 scientific articles related to the Alpha generation, then summarized 83 studies on the topic of education.

The analysis results show that compared to Generation Z, Generation Alpha is more curious, more active, less bound by rules, but more irritable and tends to be more selfish. Generation Alpha also has high self-esteem, is emotional and has a clearer sense of self. Particularly in terms of communication, this generation is identified as more closed and individualistic than Generation Z. This may lead to Generation Alpha having a high entrepreneurial spirit or preferring to do jobs with high autonomy.

These personality traits partly stem from the fact that Generation Alpha was born and grew up when technology was ubiquitous, and was too familiar with using social media in particular and technology devices in general, leading to a decline in opportunities to develop social and emotional skills. This also widens the digital divide between teachers and Generation Alpha students, causing many challenges for both schools and teachers.

Another highlight is that teachers around the world are experimenting with new teaching methods for Generation Alpha, such as incorporating games and robots into the curriculum, guiding critical thinking through online resources, or developing reading comprehension skills in digital learning environments. Some countries have also begun to research ways to train teachers at a national scale to suit Generation Alpha, especially in foreign languages ​​and STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) - fields that are strongly influenced by technology.

“Educational research on Generation Alpha is showing that despite growing recognition of their digital capabilities, the world has yet to reach a consensus on which educational approach is most effective for them,” the authors conclude.

A study by two authors, Elizelle Juanee Cilliers from the University of Technology Sydney (Australia) and Rushan Ziatdinov from Keimyung University (South Korea), published in 2021 in the European Journal of Contemporary Education, said that the learning style of Generation Alpha depends heavily on technology and is closely linked to its development. The key is to help them co-create knowledge because finding information is now so easy.

In Southeast Asia, a new study published in April in the proceedings of the 8th International Conference on Educational Innovation (ICEI 2024) by author Y.Erita and colleagues in Indonesia noted that, in addition to the technological gap, teachers also face many other challenges when educating Generation Alpha, such as how to integrate character education in the classroom, or how to effectively cooperate with families...

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/the-he-alpha-buoc-vao-cap-thpt-lua-hoc-sinh-dien-hinh-thoi-cong-nghe-185250930201917128.htm