How Gen Alpha is becoming the barometer for customer experience design

How Gen Alpha’s defining traits are shaping the future of customer experience.

Georgina Cundell-Jones

04 September 2025

5 min read

Born between 2010 and 2024, Gen Alpha is the first generation to be entirely born in the 21st century. For this generation, the pandemic undoubtedly accelerated trends in technology, with digital peer communication and remote classroom learning becoming the norm. This digital native generation significantly influences family purchasing decisions across all product categories, from toys and clothing to holidays and even automotive. And with the ever-growing role of technology, Gen Alpha has an increasing influence in shaping customer expectations across ages.

From soul to scroll

Growing up in a world where touchscreens, smart speakers and adaptive platforms are not just innovations but everyday essentials, digital fluency isn’t a skill they learn, it’s the air they breathe. But while their lives are seamlessly intertwined with technology, they also show a clear appetite for grounding.

Offline is the new online for this digital-first gen. A study by GWI on this cohort indicates how there’s been a noticeable shift in how Gen Alpha are choosing to spend their spare time, with real-life ‘offline’ moments being firmly back on the cards. GWI’s data shows us fundamental shifts in Gen Alpha behaviour between 2021-2025. There has been a 44% increase in 8–15-year-olds who prefer to watch movies in the cinema, 15% who see friends on a weekend, 13% who take trekking / walking vacations and 11% who like doing gym classes/ say it’s their favourite subject. These offline moments with friends, in nature or through movement aren’t just a break from technology, they are essential touchpoints for grounding, fostering creativity and supporting mental wellbeing.

Even for a generation that has never known a world without screens, the craving for real, tactile and human experiences is strong. For brands, this signals a crucial insight, digital-first strategies won’t alone capture Gen Alpha’s attention or loyalty. Experiences that blend online convenience with offline authenticity – from interactive hands-on products to immersive physical events are increasingly what will differentiate a brand.

In other words, creating moments that satisfy both their digital fluency and their need for sensory, human connection isn’t just nice-to-have, it’s essential for meaningful engagement with this emerging generation. A great example is Tin Can – “Tin can is a phone for kids. That’s it. No screens. No distractions. Just real, human connection.” Tin Cans ethos is that everything felt like a compromise – too much access, too much technology or just another screen to manage. So, Tin Can created a safe yet independent way for kids to connect with friends and family.

As a Millennial writing this blog and I’m sure many of you can relate, Tin Can is a playful, creative nod to ‘the good old days’ when your parents would tell you to string together two cans or cups to talk to your friends or siblings from room to room – hours of fun (whether it worked or not), and if you didn’t try this at the time, now’s your chance! Perhaps there’s a certain irony in returning to these simpler, more tactile ways in connecting…

AI as a companion

But beyond screens many of this generation have also grown up interacting with AI. Data from Pew Research shows that 1 in 2 8–11-year-olds have used generative AI tools. So, it’s no surprise they are also referred to as ‘Gen AI’. Yet for Gen Alpha, AI isn’t just a tool, it’s a sidekick, a co-creator and an imagination amplifier. They use it for educational purposes, take Buddy.ai – a voice-based learning app designed to help children learn English through storytelling, games and interactive exercises with their tutor named Buddy.

And they’re also using it to spark ideas and bring their own creative visions to life. Take 13-year-old Xu Mengmeng who used AI to write a science fiction novel ‘AI Teen: The Mars Survival Challenge’, who actually even made royalties from his work! Demonstrating how AI is giving Gen Alpha unprecedented creative freedom and lowering barriers to innovation.

At the core, this shift has profound implications for brands across all sectors. Gen Alpha aren’t happy to just have content tailored for them; they want to be co-authors in the experience. And with 71% of parents saying their child expects content made specifically for them it’s clear personalisation alone is no longer enough to stay ahead. AI is not just a convenience for this generation; it’s a creative partner that empowers them to shape the world around them.

So, for brands this means thinking beyond static campaigns and embracing new ways to collaborate, play and innovate alongside their youngest (yet powerful) consumers, who are already fluent in making technology an extension of their own creativity.

Fluid by design

But this is also why Gen Alpha grows up expecting brands to adapt to their preferences, moods and identities in real time – they’ve never known one-size-fits-all content. From the shows they stream to the learning tools they use, everything around them responds and adjusts instantly, we refer to this as being ‘fluid by design’. In fact, in research published by Dubit 64% of 6–11-year-olds say they prefer brands that adapt to them.

We are seeing a generation built for adaptability. Often called the ‘voice generation’ because many interact with technology through voice commands rather than typing like older generations (cue everyone reading this blog rushing to be down with Gen Alpha and using voice activation only). They thrive in immersive, curiosity driven environments where content is dynamic, layered and rich in sensory stimulation with 60% in a recent Mccrindle study saying they learn best through watching videos or playing games – favouring this approach over static, text-heavy formats.

For the future of brands? To engage with Gen Alpha effectively, experiences need to be fluid by design. Fluidity lets brands remain relevant in an environment where identities, technologies and cultures are shifting at hyper-speed. To Gen Alpha, a brand is not a static logo, or a catchy slogan, it’s a living system they can interact with, shape and see themselves in.

Understandably there are concerns from educators and parents on the outsized influence of technology among Gen Alpha today. It’s easy to characterise all interactions with technology as a sign of diminishing attention spans or “Brainrot”. But before we explore this final defining characteristic further and to play devil’s advocate, a recent UK study of 11-16 year olds showed that 35% of them actually felt that video games made them better readers…

Brainrot brilliance

Ultimately, Gen Alpha’s relationship with technology signals a shift, rather than losing focus, they are developing a new kind of selective attention. Gen Alpha think in video, learn through play and thrive in multisensory environments. Raised on a steady stream of visual, interactive and meme-based media, they process information across multiple sensory channels simultaneously.

What’s sometimes referred to as “Brainrot culture” is not a sign of diminishing attention, but a reshaping of focus. Filtering out anything that isn’t instantly relevant to their internal algorithms. Yet when content is immersive, curiosity-driven and rich in sensory stimulation, they don’t just engage, they go deep.

For brands it presents both a challenge and opportunity: to cut through the noise, content must be more intentional, more immersive and genuinely valuable.

Setting the bar for future experiences

These four characteristics are transforming what Gen Alpha expects from the world around them and from brands. They are already rewriting the rules of customer experience: craving offline moments as much as digital fluency, treating AI as a co-creator and expecting everything to adapt in real time.

For brands, the message is clear – winning with this generation (and the generations they influence) will require moving beyond static, one-size-fits-all strategies to create immersive, adaptive and co-authored experiences that balance digital convenience with authentic human connection.