Millennials are now in their late thirties and early forties, and their kids, Gen Alpha, are finally old enough to give honest reviews of what it is like growing up in a home run by people who remember dial up internet. Gen Alpha, born from the 2010s into the mid 2020s, has never known life without screens and apps. Their parents, on the other hand, still carry memories of a world before smartphones took over everything. That mix can feel like a constant culture clash, and sometimes a surprisingly sweet one.
For 15 year old Kyleigh Brooke, having millennial parents is both endearing and, in her words, occasionally embarrassing. It starts with the language. She says they casually drop terms like yolo, fomo, and lit, then act confused when she reacts like they have just spoken in an ancient dialect. The same energy follows her into the car, where every ride turns into a full blown throwback concert of 2000s hits. Kyleigh admits it makes her cringe, but also kind of love them for it.
The gap shows up in rules, too. Millennial parents are often very aware of how addictive screens and social media can be, and a 2025 Pew Research Center survey found that most modern parents set screen time rules for their kids. Kyleigh says her parents still call her the tech expert when something goes wrong on their phones, yet they are strict about no phones at dinner, no late night scrolling, and not oversharing online. Some of it feels reasonable, but some of it feels like they are applying old fears to a totally different digital world. What she wants most is for them to understand how fast everything moves now, and how much pressure that speed can create.
@katykat_tok We are good though 😉
♬ original sound – The Kardashians
Kyleigh’s mother, 38 year old Katy Kat, says the tension makes perfect sense. She grew up playing outside without screens, then watched the internet evolve in real time during her teen years. That experience, she explains, makes her chase balance, with space for creativity and real life experiences alongside lessons about digital safety. She keeps traditions like shared meals and holiday routines, but updates them for today, sometimes even turning family moments into TikTok content.
Not every Gen Alpha kid experiences millennial parenting the same way. Shae Ross, a 19 year old from Minneapolis, shared on TikTok that her millennial parents, Jen and Ben, loved Florence + the Machine and still remember the joy of browsing Blockbuster. Ross says her parents set fewer boundaries around screens, and she now laughs at their habits, like her mom still typing www before a web address. Instead of seeing them as checked out or overwhelmed, she credits them with making life fun and proving that the stereotype does not fit everyone.
What millennial parenting seems to create, at its best, is a home where nostalgia and modern life constantly bump into each other, and sometimes that friction becomes connection.
Have you noticed any funny or frustrating millennial parent habits in your family, and how do you think they shape Gen Alpha growing up today?
