Are you losing track of the generations? We all know about Gen X (the term popularized by Vancouver writer/artist Douglas Coupland) but now we’re onto Gen Z and even starting over with Gen Alpha.
Alpha Canada has you covered if you’re falling a bit behind. Last week they hosted a webinar introducing their study on Gen Alpha (“the spiritually curious generation”) and not long before that presented a study on Gen Z (“the open generation”).
Both studies are now available.
Gen Alpha
The webinar pack and the resource pack from the webinar are now freely available.
The research study was carried out by One Hope to learn about Gen Alpha’s beliefs, behaviours and influences. Their researchers spoke with 442 young people (ages 11 – 13, born between 2010 and 2014) across Canada, equally divided between boys and girls. About half were Christian (27% Catholic, 22% other Christian), 35% non-religious and 16% other religions.
One Hope highlighted a few insights that stood out from their research:
- 39% of non-Christian preteens say they would accept a friend’s invitation to attend church.
- 74% of Christian Canadian preteens say they feel confident in sharing their faith.
- However, only 14% of the preteens we talked to display the beliefs and habits that show they are committing to their faith, such as trusting in Jesus for salvation and regular scripture reading and praying.
Here is the Introduction to the study:
Generation Alpha refers to children and teens born between 2010 and 2024. The term Gen Alpha was coined to signal the start of something new. Gen Alpha makes up roughly 13% of the population in Canada, with more to come.
These young people will grow up in an ever-evolving world, developing unique and diverse viewpoints as a result of their life experiences. Throughout this report, we refer to these young people as preteens.
As you explore the report, you’ll encounter some Gen Alpha personas. While these personas are fictional, they are directly informed by real responses from our survey.
They help bring the data to life, offering a deeper connection to the stories and experiences it represents. These portrayals may feel so realistic that they remind you of a young person you know!
We still have a lot to learn about Gen Alpha, but already we can identify some broad themes that are emerging:
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- Anchored: Preteens express a high level of satisfaction with their family life. Most say that family members or parents are their number one source for guidance on life’s important issues.
- Connected: Young people spend much of their free time online, and most indicate they feel good about it. Watching YouTube and gaming are among their top preferred online activities, highlighting the central role these play in shaping their daily lives.
- Complex: Gen Alpha is navigating challenging ideas about gender and sexuality at an early age within an increasingly fluid culture. As they shape their understanding of identity and relationships, they often mirror the shifting norms of their generation.
- Vulnerable: Gen Alpha is already reporting mental health challenges like loneliness and high anxiety. Non-religious preteens and those who spend more than 5 hours online daily are particularly vulnerable, reporting higher rates of mental health challenges.
Go here for access to the Resource Pack and the One Hope report. And the webinar is here.
An earlier study conducted with the Barna Group looked at Gen Z: Reviving Evangelism in the Next Generation.
And a brand new podcast on The Pastorate (also based here in Vancouver) features Shaila Visser, National Director of Alpha Canada and the Global Senior Vice-President for Alpha International. She is the Executive Producer of both The Alpha Youth Film Series (2013) and The Alpha Film Series (2016).
Speaking of Alpha, there are courses going on, or just about to start, at many churches around the city. And for those who don’t know much about Alpha, or have been-there-done-that and want to know what’s next, here are a couple of good options coming up:
- National Chinese Fall Training: Alpha Weekend & Prayer Ministry, online, October 18, 10 am (Mandarin), noon (Cantonese);
- Run Alpha, online, October 30, 10 am;
- Alpha Come and See at CA Church, Coquitlam, November 12, 5:30 – 8: 30 pm
- After Alpha: What’s Next, online, November 13, 4 pm.
Made for This / The SLC
Alpha Canada is also creating a couple of other networks to reach young people:
- Made for This is a national prayer campaign dedicated to covering some 5,000 high schools across Canada, and every person who walks their halls, in prayer. The rising generation has the potential to change the world. But they need our prayers. They were made for these times. And the Church was made for this moment.
- The Student Leadership Collective (SLC) is a discipleship journey, rooted in the local church, empowering grade 10 leaders to grow in relationship with Jesus, uncover their God-given purpose, and courageously share the hope they have found in Him. We believe in YOU and in your generation. We believe God will use you to make an incredible impact in your friends’ lives, your school, your community, and together, in this country.