Volume 43         Issue One         January 2024

Last Trumpet Ministries · PO Box 806 · Beaver Dam, WI 53916

Phone: 920-887-2626   Internet: http://www.lasttrumpetministries.org

 

 “For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle?” I Cor. 14:8

 

The Next Generation

 

“Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.”

 

Psalm 90:1-2

 

If you are a Baby Boomer - born between 1946 and 1964, part of Generation X - born from 1965 to 1980, or even a Millennial - born between 1980 and 1994, you might feel far removed from the way of life embraced by the current generation of young adults known as Generation Z, born between 1995 and 2009. Although it may seem that we have barely had a chance to know Generation Z, they, too, have a new generation nipping at their heels. All children born since 2010 are part of a cohort that has come to be known as Generation Alpha. The oldest members of Generation Alpha will soon enter high school, and the very last Alpha baby will be born on December 31, 2024. In this edition of the Last Trumpet, we will take an in-depth look at what life is like now for Generation Alpha and what it might be like in the future. 

 

Digital Natives

 

In 2010, just as the very first Alpha babies were being born, Apple released a new tablet computer called the iPad. (1) This would be a timely decision by the technology giant because the iPad would go on to become one of the favorite devices of children in the 2010s. According to the United States Census Bureau, a study conducted in 2021 revealed that 81 percent of American households with young children owned tablet computers. (2) The government publication also noted that a 2020 study by The National Survey of Children’s Health found that 26 percent of children spent four or more hours per day in front of a screen. (3) Furthermore, a 2020 report from Common Sense Media found that more than two-thirds of children aged five to eight have their own mobile devices. (4) Exposure to mobile devices, such as smartphones and tablet computers, comes at a shockingly young age. According to a report published nearly nine years ago by Time Magazine, more than one-third of infants under one year of age have used a smartphone or tablet. (5)

 

Much like Generation Z, those who belong to Generation Alpha are sometimes referred to as “Digital Natives.” This unique term refers to those who grew up always having access to modern technology and the online world. Mark McCrindle, the demographer who coined the name “Generation Alpha,” believes technology will continue to play an outsized role in the lives of Alphas. “[They] have been raised as screenagers to a greater extent than the fixed screens of the past could facilitate. For this reason, we also call them Generation Glass because of the glass that they interact on now and will wear on their wrist, as glasses on their face, that will be on the Head Up Display of the driverless car they are transported in, or the interactive school desk where they learn will transform how they work, shop, learn, connect, and play,” McCrindle predicted. (6)

 

For Alphas who have been exposed to technology since infancy, going without their favorite devices is unfathomable. “[Technology] is not something separate from themselves, but rather, an extension of their own consciousness and identity,” opined Natalie Franke, the head of community at the business management firm known as HoneyBook. (7) The concept of digital devices serving as an inseparable extension of our minds was also explored in a piece published by the National Institute of Health in 2018. The piece begins by asking, “Has your smartphone replaced your brain?” The piece later goes on to declare, “The concepts of extended mind and transactive memory allow us to conceive of digital technology as an external object that has become coupled with the mind in such a way that it enables us to offload some of our internal cognitive processes onto our smartphones, tablets, and computers, thus effectively becoming an extension of our mind.” (8)

 

Not only have Alphas become inseparable from their devices, but some are even using multiple devices simultaneously. “The old model was assuming people were watching TV while also using their smartphones,” explained Noah Mallin, chief strategy officer at IMGN. He further went on to say, “For Gen Alpha, it’s more like studying on Quizlet on your smartphone, while YouTube is on in the background on the family Roku - and you’re using the computer to hang out with friends in Minecraft.” (9)

 

TikTok Brain

 

Although YouTube is the favorite social media platform of children in this modern age, a growing number are also turning to Generation Z’s favorite social platform, TikTok. While TikTok does have some innocuous, amusing, or educational videos, using the app is not without risks. Governments around the world have sought to restrict the app because of its ties to China. This includes former American President Donald Trump who sought to ban TikTok entirely in the United States. Such a ban never came to fruition, but the current President of the United States, Joe Biden, has banned the app from government devices. (10) Additionally, more than half of the states in the United States have banned TikTok from government devices. Elsewhere around the world, Canada, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Australia, and several other countries have banned the app on government devices. (11)

 

TikTok vehemently denies that it allows the Chinese government to spy on its users. However, even if no spying occurs, which may or may not be true, this is not the only reason to avoid the social platform. A report published in 2022 found that TikTok’s algorithms regularly recommend harmful videos to teens, including videos about self-harm, eating disorders, and suicide. (12) Witchcraft is also extremely popular on TikTok. In fact, an entire subset of TikTok has come to be known as WitchTok. In October 2021, USA Today reported that videos labeled with the hashtag #witchtok have been viewed 19.8 billion times. (13) Considering the fact that this story was published more than two years ago, the number of WitchTok views is likely billions higher by now. 

 

A recent piece published by Oxford University’s newspaper, The Oxford Blue, suggests that excessive use of TikTok and similar social networks is rewiring the brains of those who use them. The headline is simply entitled “TikTok and the Death of the Attention Span.” (14) The story notes that TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram and even YouTube have features that allow users to upload micro-videos that can be as short as six seconds long. When people watch many of these videos in rapid succession, it causes a harmful impact on the human attention span. In fact, a survey conducted by TikTok found that 50 percent of respondents said videos longer than one minute are stressful. (15) The author of the article went on to admit, “Personally, I don’t think I could sit through a whole film anymore. Why would I want to? An Instagram Reel could give me the same hit of emotion in a much shorter timeframe – it is literally designed to be the perfect quick fix.” She then continued, “The people around me are the same: lectures on double speed, YouTube videos watched with one finger tensed over the button that skips 5 seconds ahead, impatience with any media longer than a few minutes at most.” (16) According to Dr. Barbara Robles-Ramamurthy, a psychologist at UT Health in San Antonio, Texas, social networks such as TikTok are sneakily designed to cause addiction to the content. “They are using scientific information about how our brain works to keep us coming back, and so some of those loops have to do with dopamine, which can be associated with addiction, for example,” she said. Experts in the field of medicine and education have a new term for those who have become addicted to TikTok and similar social networks. The condition has come to be known simply as “TikTok Brain.” (17)

 

If a large contingent of Generation Z cannot handle videos more than one minute long, we can expect more of the same for Generation Alpha. This unfortunate complication of modern society presents quite a challenge for Christian leaders seeking to reach young people. If people are accustomed to six-second-long videos, how could they ever sit through a Bible study?

 

In Matthew, chapter 15, Jesus fed a multitude of four thousand men, plus women and children, with seven loaves “and a few little fishes.” This miraculous feeding occurred after Jesus had taught the people for three consecutive days. It is difficult to imagine a crowd paying attention for that long today. Nevertheless, by the grace of God, the compelling power of the Gospel will continue to reach the lost, even if it becomes increasingly difficult.

 

A Less Religious Generation

 

Given the young age of Generation Alpha, it remains to be seen how this cohort will approach spirituality. However, we can examine how their predecessors feel about spiritual matters to gain insight into the spiritual views of Gen Alpha. The majority of Alpha are the children of Millennials, and many have siblings that belong to Generation Z. Thus, Millennials and Generation Z will be highly influential on their younger relatives.

 

According to a highly detailed study published in March 2022 by the Survey Center on American Life, the percentage of nones - those who say they are agnostic, atheist, or nothing in particular - has increased with every generation since the Silent Generation. (Those born from 1928 to 1945.) The research reveals that 9 percent of the Silent Generation said they were religiously unaffiliated. The Baby Boomers came next, with 18 percent unaffiliated. Twenty-five percent of Generation X, twenty-nine percent of Millennials, and thirty-four percent of Generation Z have no particular religion. (18) The report notes that “Generation Z is the least religious generation yet.” (19) This trend is also confirmed by the Barna Group, which reported in February 2023 that only 17 percent of young adults belonging to Generation Z said they were “committed Christians” while 52 percent said they did not identify as Christian or know Jesus. (20)

 

Cultural trends indicate that young people do have a desire for a spiritual connection. Many have turned to witchcraft, paganism, or even satanism in an attempt to fill the void in their spiritual lives. Thus, it is more important than ever for the Christian people to be shining lights in a spiritually dark world. In John 8:12, Jesus declared, “I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” Yet, in Matthew 5:14, Jesus told His followers, “Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.” Thus, as God’s people, we must reflect the Light of Jesus Christ. As the world grows increasingly secular, it is an opportunity for the Light to shine even brighter. Are there fewer Christians than there used to be in the Western World? Yes. Are young people today disinclined to become Christians? Yes. Nevertheless, God has always had a people and He always will. In Matthew 10:22, Jesus warned, “And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.” The fact that we must “endure” suggests that the journey won’t be easy, but we do have the promise that our Saviour will always be with us.  It is for this reason Jesus said in Matthew 28:20, “Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.” Will there be any Christians among Generation Alpha? Yes, absolutely! They likely won’t be the majority, but there will be some. 

 

The LGBTQ Generation

 

According to a video published by NBC News in May 2023, one of the biggest reasons Generation Z is not interested in Christianity is because of the Bible’s stance on homosexuality. The description of the video states, “Data shows that more and more young people are leaving organized religion year over year. For Gen Z, there’s one specific topic that’s pushing them away: the church’s stance on LGBTQ rights.” (21) Many church leaders are terrified that they will not be able to fill their pews with the youth of today, and as such, are compromising long-held positions. This includes Pope Francis, the controversial leader of the Roman Catholic Church, who announced in December 2023 that Catholic priests could now bless same-sex unions. Days later, the Pope warned Catholics not to be too “rigid.” “Let us remain vigilant against rigid ideological positions that often, under the guise of good intentions, separate us from reality and prevent us from moving forward. We are called instead to set out and journey, like the Magi, following the light that always desires to lead us on, at times along unexplored paths and new roads.” (22)

 

Perhaps the Pope thinks the Word of God is too rigid. Nevertheless, God declared in Malachi 3:6, “For I am the Lord, I change not.” As for paths and roads, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ teaches that there’s only one road for the Christian people. In Matthew 7:13-14, Jesus warns us, “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.” Meanwhile, the Church of England offered its first-ever blessing of a same-sex union on December 17, 2023. In the ceremony, two lesbian Anglican priests were blessed by Canon Andrew Dotchin who gave “thanks for Catherine and Jane, to the love and friendship they share, and their commitment to one another as they come before you on this day.” (23)

 

In a startling poll released in 2022, it was reported by Gallup that 10 percent of Millennials and 20 percent of Generation Z identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer. (24) Will this trend continue with Generation Alpha? Alphas will grow up in an environment where it is considered completely normal to be gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender. LGBTQ characters are often featured on television, in movies, and sometimes in commercials. Even children’s programming sometimes features gay, lesbian, or transgender characters, such as the Disney Channel’s “Ghost of Molly McGee,” which features a “queer ghost” and a gay teacher. Netflix, too, has released kids programming with LGBTQ characters, including “The Dragon Prince,” “Princess Power,” and “Transformers: Earthspark.” (24) Despite a growing amount of children’s programming with LGBTQ characters, the gay advocacy group known as GLAAD is still is not satisfied. “It is more important than ever to have content made for kids and families that depicts the LGBTQ community in a positive and empowering way,” the group said in its annual report for 2022-2023. (25)

 

The Most Indebted Generation Ever

 

In 2010, the same year that the very first Alpha babies were born, the national debt of the United States stood at about 13.5 trillion dollars. (26) In an article published by the Congressional Budget Office on December 14, 2010, the government agency predicted that the national debt would continue to rise rapidly and exceed 16 trillion dollars by the year 2020. (27) As it turns out, their estimate would be off by more than ten trillion dollars. In reality, the national debt hit a whopping 26.9 trillion dollars in 2020 (28) and has continued to rise rapidly since that time. As of this writing, the national debt of the United States is now 33.9 trillion dollars. (29) By the time Generation Alpha has finished being born, the national debt will have increased by more than 20 trillion dollars since 2010. For a reference point, one trillion is the equivalent of a million millions or a thousand billions. Written out in numeric digits, a trillion looks like 1,000,000,000,000. Despite the fact that the national debt is nearly 34 trillion dollars at this time, less than 2.3 trillion dollars in physical currency was in circulation worldwide as of 2022. (30)

 

In an explainer published on the United States Treasury Department’s website, we are informed, “Simply put, the national debt is similar to a person using a credit card for purchases and not paying the full balance each month. The cost of purchases exceeding the amount paid off represents a deficit, while accumulated deficits over time represents a person’s overall debt.” (31) Thus, the national debt is the government’s version of a credit card, and if people used their credit cards the way the government uses its debt, most cardholders would likely find themselves bankrupt eventually.

 

In terms of national debt, Generation Alpha will be the most indebted generation in American history. In Revelation 13:16-17 we find this sobering warning about an economic system that will come forth in the end times. These verses read, “And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.” I find it particularly interesting that these verses mention the mark will be for both “free and bond,” which suggests there will be a slave class in the last days. Proverbs 22:7 declares, “The rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender.” Thus, we see those who have a debt that cannot be paid become de facto slaves. It is unlikely that the national debt will ever be paid, but it could eventually lead to a financial collapse. If that happens, a new system will arise to take its place, and I believe it will be a global economic system with a digital currency offered by a global government. Will this happen to Generation Alpha? God only knows. However, it is evident from current trends that much of Generation Z and Generation Alpha will have no knowledge of what the Bible says and, therefore, could easily fall prey to an antichrist system. Pray for Generation Alpha. They’re going to need it!

 

In closing, it is truly amazing how quickly we are moving through time. It is also remarkable how much the world has changed in recent years. The youngest generation will grow up in a world that is drastically different from generations past. According to a piece by Forbes, 65 percent of Generation Alpha will work in jobs that don’t even exist yet. (32) They will grow up alongside artificial intelligence, and many of the things we grew up with will fade away into obscurity. According to McCrindle’s website, outgoing technology includes landline telephones, CDs, DVDs, GPS units, car key ignitions, textbooks, desktop computers, credit cards, wallets, and analog watches. (33) Yet, even as the world changes, God is still God, and He is still on the throne.  Psalm 90:1-2 declares, “Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.”  If you have not yet repented of your sins and dedicated your life to God, I urge you to do so now.

 

Thank you all for your kind support of this ministry. May God bless each and every one of you as we enter this new year. I am certain it will be a busy year, and there will be a lot of news to cover in the months ahead. As always, we invite you to send us your prayer requests. Each request is given individual attention. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

 

Samuel David Meyer

This newsletter is made possible by the kind donations of our supporters. If you would like to help us, you may send your contribution to our postal address or donate online at http://lasttrumpetnewsletter.org/donate.

 

Acknowledgments

 

01. GenerationAlpha.com.

02. United States Census Bureau, April 13, 2023, By Daniela Mejia, census.gov.

03. Ibid.

04. Common Sense Media, 2020, By Victoria Rideout and Michael B. Robb, commonsensemedia.org.

05. Time Magazine, April 25, 2015, By Alexandra Sifferlin, time.com.

06. Huffington Post, November 8, 2019, By Caroline Bologna, huffpost.com.

07. Ibid.

08. National Institute of Health, August 31, 2018, By Sari R. R. Nijssen, Gabi Schaap, Geert P. Verheijen, and Stefano Federico, ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.

09. Digiday, August 10, 2023, By Antoinette Siu, digiday.com.

10. NBC News, December 30, 2022, By David Ingram, nbcnews.com.

11. ZDNet, August 21, 2023, By Jada Jones, zdnet.com.

12. ABC News, December 15, 2022, By Yi-Jin Yu, abcnews.go.com.

13. USA Today, October 14, 2021, By Sara M. Moniuszko, usatoday.com.

14. The Oxford Blue, May 23, 2023, By Jui Zaveri, theoxfordblue.co.uk.

15. Ibid.

16. Ibid.

17. KSAT News, September 5, 2023, September 5, 2023, By Courtney Friedman, ksat.com.

18. Survey Center on American Life, March 24, 2022, By Daniel A. Cox, americansurveycenter.org.

19. Ibid.

20. Barna Group, February 1, 2023, By Barna Group, barna.com.

21. NBC News, May 8, 2023, By NBC News, nbcnews.com.

22. Associated Press, December 21, 2023, By Nicole Winfield, apnews.com.

23. Associated Press, December 17, 2023, By Jill Lawless, apnews.com.

24. Axios, February 19, 2022, By Erin Doherty, axios.com.

25. Kidscreen, March 21, 2023, By Ryan Tuchow, kidscreen.com.

26. Congressional Budget Office, December 14, 2010, cbo.gov.

27. Ibid.

28. Investopedia, September 21, 2023, By Hiranmayi Srinivasan, investopedia.com.

29. United States Treasury, treasury.gov.

30. US Currency Education Program, uscurrency.gov.

31. United States Treasury, treasury.gov.

32. Forbes, February 23, 2023, By Alpa Patel, forbes.com. 

33. McCrindle, 2021, generationalpha.com.

 

If you would like to submit a prayer request, you may send email to prayer@ltmmail.org or mail it to our postal address.