EDITORIAL
Raise the Future | Rob Hoskins
The day started uneventfully at our OneHope office—until chaos erupted outside. A colleague burst in with shocking news: a high-speed police chase had veered off the road and onto our property. In an instant, the fleeing car tore across the grass, smashed through the fence, and crashed into a parked car. As if that weren’t dramatic enough, word spread that the car’s trunk was loaded with shotguns. Concern rippled through everyone on site.
As I began to ask more questions, piece by piece, the true story began to emerge. The driver wasn’t a fugitive but an elderly man who had suffered a seizure behind the wheel. The supposed shotguns in his trunk turned out to be his walker.
The first glance story did not correspond with reality.
How many times in our lives have we settled for a first-glance interpretation when we should be digging deeper? This tendency can mislead us, whether in ministry, business or family. If we want to make a meaningful impact, we must move beyond assumptions and ask the right questions to uncover what’s real.
Generation Alpha, those born after 2010, is a cohort growing up in a world unlike any other. If you haven’t spent much time around preteens lately, it’s easy to form preconceived notions about their experiences and challenges. The Generation Alpha Report, completed by our research team, surveyed more than 450 young people in the U.S. between the ages of 11–13. If you unpack the report, you may be surprised or affirmed in your initial opinions about this age group.
I was encouraged to learn how influential the family unit is in the life of a preteen. While peers have some influence over their friends, Gen Alpha actually goes to family members most often for information or guidance about right and wrong. As parents and grandparents, we have the incredible privilege of speaking directly into this area, which forms the foundation of how they interact with the world as adults.
Gen Alpha is spending an average of 4 hours and 6 minutes online daily outside of schoolwork. But this is more than a statistic. It’s an invitation to think differently about engaging with preteens. How can we think of ways to intentionally instill thoughtful, edifying moments and conversations about what they experience online? Even if it’s a funny YouTube video they’re watching, it can be a way to connect and engage in a conversation that leads to something deeper.
The Generation Alpha Report is a free resource for you as a parent, grandparent, pastor or friend—one I truly hope you will take the time to peruse. These tween years are pivotal to understand, as we help these growing adolescents navigate the fast-paced world, mature in their faith, and stand strong in their beliefs.
This report is a springboard. It shares great insights about this young digitally connected generation. It’s just as important to be present and notice the needs and lived realities of the tweens and children around you. Enjoy being a “student” of the next generation, learning about how they see the world.