“Kids are logging off to live it up.” So concludes a new report into the lifestyles of 12-15 year olds, with researchers observing “a noticeable rebound in IRL (in-real-life) fun” among ‘Gen Alpha’.

“There’s a lot of evidence that excessive use of tech can cause kids to disconnect from the real world,” the research noted. “But for a generation raised on screens, Gen Alpha are flipping the narrative: they’re turning them off (at least sometimes) in favour of more hands-on, real-world fun.”

The study, carried out by research platform GWI, drew on a survey of 20,000 young people and their parents across 18 nations. It noted that the number of 12-15 year olds consciously taking breaks from digital devices has risen to 40%, up from 22% in 2022. 

GWI described the trend as “not a full-scale unplugging, but a recalibration”. It also noted a 44% increase in the number of 12- to 15-year-olds preferring to watch films in the cinema instead of streaming since 2021; a 16% rise in kids with a physical toy on their wish lists since 2023; and an 8% rise in those saying they play board games over the same period.

“Gen Alpha are making the offline cool again,” the report concluded. 

Image: Kateryna Kamenieva