Generation Alpha is here and they're really, really good at hoverboarding
@thatcurlytopp and @chadacarroll via TikTok.
- Generation Alpha aren't just masters of the iPad. Many are seriously skilled on hoverboards too.
- Some Gen Alpha children have spent their early with hoverboards as childhood toys.
- TikTokers have been filming kids multitasking and performing epic stunts on the electric scooters.
Generation Alpha is currently the youngest generation to roam the Earth, and so far, many of them are doing it on hoverboards.
The term Generation Alpha is typically used to refer to children born between 2010 and 2024, who are often labeled "iPad kids" in reference to their growing up with the tablets which were launched in 2010, coinciding with the beginning of their generation.
On TikTok, some users have also pointed out another common identifier for members of Gen Alpha: they're often incredibly well-versed at maneuvering on a hoverboard.
"Hoverboards" don't actually hover — they're the name given to self-balancing electric scooters that became a huge craze in 2015 after imitations of the product, which was created by the Chinese-American inventor Shane Chen, entered the market, the Guardian reported in 2016.
The product — which works a little like a segway without handles — was hugely popular among adults and kids alike in its early years, but they've largely faded out of favor among older users. On TikTok, several users have looked back at photos of them on hoverboards in their pre-to-mid-teen years, referring to their usage of the product as a "phase" or "era" that they grew out of over time.
But some Gen Alpha kids weren't old enough when they were introduced to hoverboards to now treat them as part of a phase that they've become too cool for. Many appear to be using hoverboards as everyday childhood toys, and as such, they've gotten pretty good at using them at a very young age.
A video of a two-year-old in diapers on a hoverboard spinning in circles like there's no tomorrow has drawn in 13.7 million views since it was posted to TikTok in July 2021, leaving a number of impressed adult commenters wondering how the child was able to be so proficient at hoverboarding before even being potty-trained.
"If you can do that, then you can use the toilet," wrote one commenter.
Other TikToks of "hoverboard kids," as one user called them, showcase their ability to perform chores, carry objects, and perform impressive tricks on the scooters, often astounding onlooking adults in the process. One child is even hoverboarding and using her iPad at the same time — the ultimate Gen Alpha.
Generational discourse is an extremely popular topic on TikTok. Videos of people comparing and pitting generations against each other often go hugely viral. For example, discussions about how Gen Z identifies millennial humor have been causing controversy and eliciting strong responses from users belonging to both generational groups on the app.
Meanwhile, Gen Alpha humor has been causing confusion on TikTok, as some Gen Zers say they don't understand some of the humor popular among their younger peers, such as the "skibidi toilet" meme.
For more stories like this, check out coverage from Insider's Digital Culture team here.