Janet Mbugua warns: Gen Alpha moves faster than adults can decode
By Paulette Mboga, December 7, 2025Janet Mbugua has raised concerns about how quickly Gen Alpha is shaping online spaces, saying their pace is now far ahead of what many adults understand.
On Sunday, December 7, 2025, she said this became clear the moment she saw how new terms spread online. According to her, “If ‘sigma’ is now a personality type, then clearly Gen Alpha is running the internet!”
Janet questioned who is actually guiding young people as they move through these fast digital spaces. She said the internet has become their main playground, but adults are often unsure how to keep up.
“But if the internet is their playground, who is guiding the play space?” she asked.
She described the online world Gen Alpha consumes as mixed, with good parts and worrying parts. In her words, “Some of it is brilliant, some of it is pure brain rot, and most of it moves faster than adults can decode.”
Call for adults to stay alert
Janet shared simple steps she believes can help adults understand and support younger users. She said parents and guardians should ask questions rather than assume they know what slang means. She encouraged adults to “ask what their slang means, rather than assuming,” as this helps avoid confusion.
She also said adults should monitor what young people watch and copy online. Her advice included staying close to what they interact with and protecting them from harmful trends. She noted the need to “stay aware of what they watch and echo”, as online behaviour can change quickly.
Janet added that guidance also involves showing them healthier content and using tools when needed. She advised adults to “steer them toward healthier content” and use “controls or filters when needed,” especially when certain platforms become too difficult to manage.
She said staying connected is not always easy, but it matters. Janet explained that many adults are busy, yet they still need to make time to guide Gen Alpha as the internet continues to evolve.
“Staying connected and present is easier said than done when we’re juggling a million things, but it counts as they navigate a world that is changing at triple speed,” she said.