What you need to know about Gen Alpha in 2026

The other night at youth group, a crowd of girls squeezed together on one couch, giggling uncontrollably during the leader’s message, while a bunch of boys piled on another couch, competing for attention. I found myself thinking, some things haven’t changed.

But in other ways, so much has changed. It’s hard not to notice.

If you’re in youth ministry of any sort, you know that today’s middle and high school students aren’t the same as teenagers five years ago. We’re in the midst of a massive generational shift, and if you’re feeling it more these days, you’re not alone.

Leaders like you have been asking us at FYI: What’s different about teenagers now—and how should we respond? To find out, our team launched new research into how Gen Alpha (born 2010 and later) is exploring identity, belonging, purpose, faith, and spirituality. We’re excited to begin sharing what we’re learning so you can apply it in your ministry.

Who is Gen Alpha?

First, a quick overview in case you’re wondering who we’re talking about and how they’re different from Gen Z.

• Generation Alpha refers to young people born in 2010 and later (the oldest turn 16 in 2026).
• Gen Alpha is the first generation to come of age in our post-pandemic world. Lower reading and math scores, social-emotional gaps, and chronic school absenteeism mean that educational impact lingers. But the pandemic also deepened family bonds for many children who are now becoming teens.
• Gen Alpha is the most diverse generation in race and ethnicity to date. Yet they’re coming of age just as adult polarization and politicized rhetoric are remarkably high (including in a lot of churches).
• Big trends in the national religious landscape may impact this generation’s experiences. Decline in religious affiliation seems to have leveled off in the US, and for the first time, young men are about as religious as young women. While younger generations of adults are the least religious, many report openness to faith and spirituality, and specifically to Jesus.

What is FYI learning about today’s teenagers?

At the Fuller Youth Institute, our team has spent the past year digging into others’ research and conducting our own, listening through a national survey of nearly 3,000 13–17-year-olds on the generational bubble of Gen Z and Gen Alpha. 

Fill out the form and download the full report today and equip your ministry with insights to disciple today's teens for lasting faith.

1. The pandemic feels both distant and present

Older teens and young adults can say a lot about how the pandemic impacted them personally and shaped their generation. Gen Alpha isn’t quite as articulate. After all, it’s something that happened when they were kids.

One of the surprising findings in our survey was that 75% of teens say they hardly ever talk about the pandemic anymore. Despite its deep impact on their lives and world, it’s just not coming up in conversations.

At the same time, just over half say the pandemic still affects them regularly. And 1 in 3 say they feel relieved or understood when people talk about its effects on their lives or generation. We know these differences probably vary a lot by region and local community, as well as from family to family.

It’s unmistakable that the events of the last handful of years have deeply shaped our national and global environment, and that the instability, division, mistrust, and uncertainty marking this era filter down to kids and teenagers (or flood their social media feeds). On some level, like the rest of us, they’re trying to make sense of it all.

Questions to ask your students:

• What do you think are some of the biggest events that have impacted your generation so far?
• How do you feel these events have shaped you personally or changed how you see the world?
• What do you think it looks like to live as a Christian in our world today? What do you see Christians doing that inspires you, and what makes you cringe?

2. There’s no place like home

While they’ve grown up very connected online and spending a lot of time at home, research shows Gen Alpha increasingly wants in-person connection. In one recent study, many young people say they want to get off screens and they prefer unstructured, in-person time with friends over organized activities.

But it seems as though a lot of young people aren’t getting out of the house much. For most of the young people in our study, home itself is a significant place. Across questions about identity, belonging, and purpose, teens in our study feel most comfortable at home. This is even true for 16–17-year-olds. (We offer caution here: Home and family aren’t safe for every young person. We realize that instability or relationship strain can make home uncomfortable, while abuse or neglect can make home terrifying.)

We know a lot of that time is spent online—watching YouTube and TikTok, gaming, and yes, doing schoolwork. Increasingly, teens at home are also using AI for conversation and companionship. A recent Common Sense Media study found that 72% of teens have used an AI companion; over half do so regularly.

But we also know home is where young people connect most with family members, and in our study, they report high levels of trust in parents, caregivers, siblings, and extended family when it comes to talking about the things that matter most, including faith.

This is a complicated reality for youth ministry. On one hand, it’s vital to support young people’s connection with home and family, and to help caregivers disciple their kids. On the other hand, ministry leaders know that teenagers need to be together—in person, in the same space at the same time. They need to get out of the house. They need adults outside the family to know and support their growth and discipleship.

Questions to ask your students:

• What makes your home important to you?
• Do you wish you could hang out at home more, less, or about the same amount? Tell me more about why.
• What would make our youth group or our church feel more like home, more like family? What changes could we work on together?

3. They might assume you’re judging them

One of the most prominent themes across our research so far is that young people want adults to judge them less. When we asked what makes an adult trustworthy, teens said someone who listens without judging. And when we asked, “What could faith communities do to better connect with teens?” young people resoundingly said: Be more welcoming and less judgmental.

What makes an adult trustworthy to you?

1. They listen without judging me

2. They respect my views even if they disagree
3. They follow through on what they say

Gen Alpha wants more connection with adults. In fact, 40% say having a mentor, guide, or elder they can talk to regularly would help them grow in their faith. They want adults they can trust to be real, to take time to get to know them, and to follow up on what they share. When we asked what would make it easier to talk to adults about faith or life questions, the top two responses were “Less pressure to have the right answer” and “Not worrying about being judged.”

A young person in our interviews said it this way: “Try to welcome us. I know people my age are kind of confused, trying to figure out where they belong. So try to not be judgmental. Try to see them for who they are, try to understand them. … Bring them closer first.”

Questions to ask your students:

• Tell me about a time when you felt like an adult listened without judging you. Who was listening, and what were they doing to make you feel that way?
• What’s one question you wish an adult would ask you? What’s one question you wish they’d stop asking you?
• If you could change one thing about our youth group or church to make it more welcoming, what would it be?

4. Most young people seem open to faith

Across all of the participants in our study, only 12% say they’re not interested in faith or religion at all. Among teens with no religious affiliation, 41% say this—meaning over half of nonreligious young people may be open to faith.

We asked those who don’t practice any faith or religion an open-ended question about why, and no top reason emerged. Young people mostly mentioned a lack of interest in religion, a lack of experience with it, or that they just don’t believe in any particular religion. Some say they’re unsure or don’t know where to start. Few sound antagonistic, and just 2% mention negative experiences with religion or religious trauma.

In other words, faith either isn’t on their radar or they may be open to it, but it’s not something they are actively opposing. Even for teens who may never have set foot in a church, they’re likely asking spiritual questions and seeking deeper meaning.

Questions to ask your students:

• Where do you think people your age are looking to find deeper meaning or spiritual truth?
• What would make a church feel genuinely welcoming to someone who isn’t sure what they believe?
• What is sacred to you?

We’ll look more closely at this group of nonreligious teens, as well as at highly engaged and committed Christian teens, in future posts! We are excited to continue to learn about this generation and how we can best reach and accompany them toward faith.