Today’s world has a crush on the idea of being young forever. It can be seen in beauty standards praising youthful characteristics, nostalgia haunting friendships when “remember when” stories appear on their feeds, and that feeling like the world is running out of time.
How is it to be young in a world that constantly reminds people that everything can change from one second to the other?
Generation alpha (2010-2024) doesn’t have to imagine this, because they have been the main characters of this digital era since the day they were born. Gen alpha is a generation rooted in creativity, diversity and global consciousness. They grew up in a time that is different from any other.
Beyond Instagram profiles and usernames, teenagers all around are living their own highlight moments that will shape their future.
For Andrea Perez and Jacob Rodriguez — their current status? Screenagers. Not by choice, but by circumstance.
MINERO MAGAZINE: How would you describe being a teenager in 2025?/¿Como describirían ser un adolescente en 2025?
Jacob: I think being a teenager is fun. I have like good friendships and my days, my normal days are fun. I like them.
Andrea: Creo que es algo muy divertido y muy padre pertenecer a la generación alfa, porque es una generación, este que crece con la tecnología y pues también como que vamos implementando nuevas cosas. Siento que estamos siendo más abiertos y ya aceptamos más cosas y eso me gusta mucho. Creo que para describirlo, una palabra que podría describir ser adolescente es divertido.
Teenagers today don’t fear normalcy and tradition; they fear getting canceled. Kids worry about not looksmaxing to their real potential and strive to be like people they’ve never met. They get advice from ChatGPT and call their closest friends the real ones because they know ingenuity is everywhere.
Gen alpha has grown up in a world full of constant change, but good old teenage angst is something that will never fade away. They are experiencing a newfound anxiety of FOMO (fear of missing out) and chronic nostalgia simultaneously. They say a “like” or a “comment” can be the butterfly that causes a hurricane effect in their lives. Yet, at the same time, social media can be the reason for feeling more isolated than ever.
Culture used to be shaped by where you lived or who you were surrounded by. Social media changed that. Gen alpha’s lens and taste by which they experiment with the world is not limited to their zip code. Through their phones, they can go and know about anywhere and anything they want.
But, this generation’s biggest strength is being open-minded and accepting. They say it is impossible not to compare themselves to the standards set by the digital era even if they are edited or made with AI. There’s a need for perfection even if it’s just for the thumbnail pictures. When romanticizing everything is the new norm, how can one conform with just being normal?
Online, it’s easy to say whatever, spill tea and hide behind a screen to watch it burn, but teaching people to actually feel something? That takes guts.
MINERO MAGAZINE: Do you believe empathy is something schools can teach?/¿Creen que la empatía es algo que la escuela pueda enseñar?
Andrea: Yo sí pienso que la escuela te enseña la empatía y el convivir con las personas. Tal vez no te lo enseña un maestro, ni un director, pero ves a personas todos los días. Convives con ellos, te prestan cosas y tienes una comunidad con ellos y eso te enseña los valores y lo importante que es la empatía. Porque pues es socializar y son tus amigos, y es a gente con la que te vas a juntar y eso también pues ya cuando seas un adulto también te va a definir como persona.
Jacob: I think it definitely can, because you’re surrounded by people all the time. So, no matter what you’re going to learn, like empathy, you need to be kind and everything. Because without empathy you won’t have good relationships, or friends. So, I definitely think empathy is top things schools can teach.
Empathy might be one of the best tools anyone can teach or learn. It takes our invisible strings and threads them together and takes us from simply viewing to showing up.
MINERO MAGAZINE: If you could use empathy to change something in today’s world what would it be and why?/Si pudieras usar la empatía para cambiar cualquier cosa en el mundo de hoy, ¿qué cambiarias y por qué?
Andrea: En mi escuela me he dado cuenta que los grupos sociales son muy cerrados, o sea de los deportes con los deportes, los mexicanos con los mexicanos y así. Creo que la empatía la usaría como para que se abran a la idea de incluir a las demás personas o sea hacer ahorita una comunidad.
Jacob: I think I would use empathy for people to be more caring. I don’t know how to explain, but a lot of people don’t care about other people, so like for people to care for others than themselves.
Being young is still a synonym for being a believer. Some may think keeping this childlike spirit of wonder can be naive, but it may be what keeps generations from brain rotting. Truth be told, that’s where the real connection is. Only in real connection is where one can realize how hope and fun are not just for future generations, but also in them.
