Every generation faces challenges, whether it be personal freedoms, academic pursuits, family dynamics, or social pressures. However, growing up in the “golden age” of the ’80s and ’90s, millennials often fondly think back on their childhoods. Strategically placed in a time when new technology was rocketing convenience, shared experience was at the forefront, and privacy wasn’t even a concern.
Childhood lifestyles that offered independence, innovation, opportunity for social interactions, and an overall communal experience were freedoms and norms rarely experienced by earlier generations. Not to be outdone, Gen Alpha (those born between 2010 and 2024) is leveraging access to new technologies to create a lifestyle that offers similar benefits in a time with fewer physical freedoms of autonomy.
A Reddit thread on r/Millennials posed an interesting question: “Did we grow up in the golden age of growing up?”
Redditors started sharing some of the celebrated things that they remembered from growing up millennial. It’s an interesting exercise to see what was so great about the time and wonder how Gen Alpha can find ways to live their own best childhoods.
Millennials lived a childhood with true independence
Millennials: There was a real sense of autonomy. Often, without parental supervision, freedom to go where and whenever they wanted was common. There weren’t any cellphones to do check-ins. Once out on their bikes with friends in the wild, it was possible to go many hours without any adults to interfere. Because of this, when problems arose, which any group of kids is bound to run into, working it out together was the best and only solution.
One Redditor, u/Omnicloud87, remembered, “I remember summer vacations at 15 and just going from friends house to friends house. Walking from city to city. The movies, then the mall, then back to the movies! Riding bikes all over New Jersey.”
A 2025 review in Kids Mental Health found that collaborating between peers helps children break down complex problems and enhance cognitive thinking. Learning how to negotiate and process challenging emotions demonstrated the trade-offs of fairness and inequality when problem-solving.
Generation Alpha: Maybe not as physically free to roam the neighborhoods alone, kids from this generation have greater freedom and access to technology. A 2025 survey reported in Attest found that Gen Alpha is “emerging as an exceptionally practical and autonomous generation.” They have more spending power than past generations and greater access to digital devices, such as mobile phones and gaming consoles.
Millennials experienced technological innovations without losing their privacy
Millennials: With emerging technology like video games or burning CDs of music for friends, science was bringing innovation into the home. Getting to sit in the Captain’s chair on an airplane before takeoff was a normal interaction for kids on a first flight—an experience that would be completely unheard of today. There was a feeling that the world was evolving, and kids got to reap the benefits from it: playing with tech and not worrying about the experience being captured for all of eternity in some social media post. When a picture was taken, it took a week to be developed. Today, with one click of a finger a digital photo can be posted forever on the internet.
u/Virtual_Library_3443 said it best when reflecting about the millennial childhood, “We had a pretty rad ‘kid culture’ for sure!”
Because millennials experienced early access to new technologies as children, they suffer fewer limitations when interacting with more recent technologies like Artificial Intelligence. A 2021 study showed that the generation demonstrates high comfort with platforms such as Instagram and Snapchat. They even kept pace with emerging tech, such as digital tokens like NFTs.
Generation Alpha: Not to be outdone, this generation of kids now has access to self-directed learning. With tools like AI, children can choose and pursue personalized learning support while gathering timely feedback. A 2025 study published in ResearchGate showed AI offered kids recommendations for self-learning practices, including skills acquisition and knowledge building across multiple disciplines.
Millennials navigated a life requiring inner fortitude and courageous action
Millennials: Growing up in the ’80s and ’90s required a good amount of inner fortitude. Randomly going to a friend’s house and ringing the doorbell without knowing if anyone was home, commonplace. Using a landline phone to call a school crush, only to get their parents, required some unexpected conversational stumbles that could only make them stronger.
“The limited internet I had access to as a teen helped me connect with people and discover new things when I desperately needed to,” shared u/drjenavieve.
Interestingly enough, millennials have embraced new technology like texting wholeheartedly. A 2022 survey by Edison Mail found that 74% of millennials preferred texting as their favorite form of communication, with only 22% feeling the same about phone calls.
Generation Alpha: This generation is constantly facing an evolving world while remaining more curious, more conscientious, and more emotionally secure. A 2023 article in Pew emphasized the importance of resilience skills as building blocks that children can learn for well-being. The ability to build connections with peers through in-person events, phone and video chats, or text improves self-confidence.
Millennials experienced social interactions that formed a sense of community
Millennials: One of the great millennial childhood experiences involved heading to a Blockbuster to grab the last VHS copy of a new release movie on a Friday night. Or returning to school the next morning to discuss the latest episode of a miniseries the whole nation was tuning in for every Thursday night. Many one-time-only opportunities were a part of the daily life experience that fostered a collective feeling of community.
“Kid shows were more ambitious and memorable. Toys were made to provide core memories. Music was more creative, still relied on actual musical instrumental talent, and even pop was catchier and more feel-good,” shared u/jgreg728.
A 2021 study in the National Library of Medicine found that during the COVID-19 lockdown, people watching and commenting on social TV and content experienced greater enjoyment. Because people had limited physical interactions, sharing over a common event boosted enjoyment and overall mood.
Generation Alpha: A 2024 article published in ASCD, a global educational organization, showed that Gen Alpha is very active in online communities. This unique communication style offers engaged peer interactions. The distinct language created from gaming, memes, AI-driven trends, and social media platforms like TikTok and YouTube fosters emotional intelligence while impacting decision-making. This also reorders the thinking processes to identify connections and perceive relationships.
Generation Alpha will have complicated experiences that are both positive and negative. Learning independence, digital freedom for content creation, self-directed learning with advanced tools like AI, social networking through digital and gaming communities, and greater social awareness are all components of building these young adults. Some day, Gen Alpha will look back over their own “golden age,” sharing what worked best so future generations can benefit.
