If you open any second book that my father owns, you’ll find a face or a doodle somewhere, signed by yours truly, circa 2006. Much of the furniture in our home was refurbished through my artistry. Some would say it was scratched, I would say it was worn-down with charm. The walls of my room once provided the canvas to a stunning, golden scribble mural. Safe to say that my parents weren’t too fond of that one; too abstract, perhaps.
You might find resonance in this: as children we seek to create — and destruct. We scribble on walls. We doodle on books. We mess around with paint.
It is at this time that our creativity is in its purest form, untainted by the world and all its horrors. We are not creating art — concerned with whether this work will be able to pay the bills, or whether people will enjoy it — we create for our own enjoyment. While some take to it more than others, that foundational start encapsulates how creativity is one of our natural skills.
Today, many children are being deprived of this experience. Instead, they’re watching cocomelon. And personally, I am scared of the inevitable rise of the ‘iPad Baby’.
Many members of Generation Alpha are being babysat by screens, a by-product of being born into a world where technology is not a scarce commodity. They will never have to rely on a landline phone, or have to fuss around with old computer modems just to get the only desktop in the house to work. iPad babies are very much embedded in an age of touchscreens, social media, and artificial intelligence.
So how will art hold up in a world where iPad babies are leading the charge? Unlimited access to addictive technologies means that this generation is not creating art in the same way that we did, they are simply consuming miscellaneous content. With the added option of simply asking ChatGPT to whip up an artwork for them, the unavoidable question is whether these children even feel the need to create at all?
To address these thoughts, I chatted to a few people who understand art best. Solomiya Sywak, a recent Visual Arts graduate, said that “making is not separate from living” for her. Her earliest memories of creating were making artworks out of “anything she could get her hands on”. As for Connor Chen, a current Visual Arts student, his earliest memories of creating art were heavily intertwined with pop culture — drawing clip art of “My Little Pony” to give to friends, and creating artworks with colour pencil on A4 paper, as inspired by his favourite cartoons.
When probed on the topic of social media and art, Connor felt strongly about the way that some seminal pieces of art are being misunderstood and incorrectly spoken about, particularly on platforms like Tiktok: “People aren’t talking about the intention behind art, because they feel as though they need to immediately understand it as opposed to really reflecting on the themes.”
This lack of critical thinking when it comes to art in online spaces is seemingly driven by the culture of overconsumption that addictive technologies present. Now more than ever, it is important for all generations to be well equipped with media literacy, especially Generation Alpha.
Aside from how online commentary can skew interpretations of art, Solomiya seemed concerned about the ability for young people to copy art with AI. “Art is all about examining your surroundings, and if you get someone else to do that for you, it’s not art anymore.”
This ease of access to technologies and platforms that assist in copying what already exists when matched with the potential for children to adopt a lazier approach to creation, presents a real threat to the integrity of artmaking.
With all of these concerns at play, Georgia Freebody, an artist, teacher and art therapist who works closely with young children, noted that:
“As a Gen-Xer, I attribute my innate creativity to playing in the grass, ripping things up. As a Gen-Zer, you attributed yours to doodling with pens and paper. Young people are innately creative because of the tools we have, and so I think they will continue to be with whatever tools we give them – technology included. It would be a mistake to fight technology, in the same way that it would be a shame for generations prior to having fought pens and pencils”.
“However, I do agree that children need to make meaning and create relationships with the material world. If that meaning making is being interrupted, that’s when we start to see problems”.
Georgia offered advice on the need to provide a diverse range of tools that young children create with, in order for children to remain able to “make meaning and create relationships with the material world”, as a disruption to this is where problems arise. Her own teaching practices often include bringing in natural materials so that children can tear up leaves or play with sand while exercising both their realities and imaginations.
When asked about young people’s consumption of content, Georgia was able to identify some positives, saying that “part of being creative is that you need to flow and ebb, but [another] part of that is about needing to consume culture, because you cannot create in a vacuum”.
The ability for technology to assist young artists in making connections in this digital age excited both Georgia and Connor, who also specified that the online art community is a helpful source of motivation and education.
One sentiment echoed throughout my conversations with all three artists was the feeling that since art is innate, the need to create will never truly be lost regardless of the advancements in technology. Because art relies on instinct and developing one’s talent, young artists will be driven to make art, no matter the form.
After some valid apprehensions, Georgia also provided a pertinent reminder: “I’m hopeful because through my work, I see how incredible babies and kids are. They’re all over it, and so smart, bright and energised, so it’s well worth remembering that as well.” With these comforting words, I have more faith that iPad babies will be able to keep art alive – even if it is hard to see the light (beyond an iPad screen) right now.
