I’ve been studying Gen Alpha for a while now, partly because I’m fascinated by how they think, knowing they’ll be college students in the not-so-distant future, and partly because one of them lives in my house and offers unsolicited commentary on everything.
So, meet my in-home Gen Alpha focus group, Craighton.
He’s 13, observant, which is sometimes misperceived as complacent, and can’t be bothered by the length of his name, so we call him CJ. He’s allergic to anything that feels like “marketing,” but also very influenced by what he sees and experiences online.
I asked him to tell me how he and his friends think about college. Below is what he wants you to know. (Though if I’m being honest, he’d much rather “go live” than spend the time typing.)
His take is a reminder: Gen Alpha isn’t ignoring us. They’re filtering us: deciding what feels worth their attention, what sounds real, and what earns their trust.
So instead of over-engineering your next campaign, let’s pay attention to what a future Gen Alpha student actually thinks about when it comes to college.
My takeaways: He, and other students like him, aren’t quite college-ready. But they are dream-ready. Colleges can help them imagine. Show them interesting jobs, let them see and hear from real students, and let them try little pieces of college now: a 5-minute quiz/game, a virtual tour, or advice from someone a little older than them.
Here’s CJ’s blog…
Hey, I’m CJ, and my mom made me do this assignment on what I think about college and what I care about.
She works for GradComm. She worked at a college. My sisters go to college. My teachers say, “This will help you in college.” My parents tell me, “Work hard, you’re going to college.”
I’ve heard “college talk” my whole life.
For real, it feels kind of stressful. Do I have to move out of my house, will I live there? Do I have to take a test to get in? How much does it cost? Seems like A LOT. Can I really do it online, in my pajamas?
My mom shows me college stuff (flyers, ads, magazines, websites, videos). Basically, I don’t want to read lots of words and see pictures of people high-fiving under trees. That seems made up.
Videos are cool, but usually they are too long. Mascot merch is sigma (sigma is good).
Where do I hang out?
- Gaming sites like Roblox, Minecraft, Fortnite. My friends and I talk about everything while building and battling.
- YouTube (duh). I learn more here than I do from my teachers.
- TikTok. It’s not just dances. People explain stuff that teachers and parents don’t.
- Discord. Mom asks a lot about this. It looks like Slack that she uses for work. There are servers for gaming, music, and a lot of things. She asked if I would check out a college on Discord, sure, but don’t make it weird.
What gets my attention?
- Shorts and fun videos, nothing I have to read.
- Games, quizzes, something to do.
- Things that are funny and could really happen.
Conclusion
I’m not ready for college (yet). But I am thinking about what job I want someday. I haven’t figured that out.
Peace ✌
CJ — Jamie’s kid, Future Something-or-Other
