In a week when Adolescence made a big impact on us all, we thought we'd showcase some Real Life Stories written by 12 year old boys from our Gen Alpha research.
We asked them to freeflow on their lives, hopes and dreams. When we later interviewed them and asked if they admired Andrew Tate, they often said that they did, but their stories are not about that.
They are full of love and care for their families and their dreams for the future. Here are their full stories.
Real Life Stories requires you to take some time, read actively and absorb what people are telling you about their lives. So make a cup of tea before you get stuck in.
Ebube, Manchester
I am from the capital city of Nigeria, Abuja. I moved to the UK in 2018. I moved houses recently and I play for a Saturday league football team. My favourite food is burgers, I like pasta especially linguine, jollof rice, sushi. I enjoy my food and like trying out new ones from different countries.
I am able to cook, as my mum started teaching me how to use the hob safely from when I was 7. The first meal I ever made was fried rice and it was tasty. I like playing video games like F1, FIFA, WWE and Fortnite. I also like going out with my friends and doing things with them e.g. playing football and playing games like Fortnite and FIFA with them . I am a catholic and I regularly serve mass at my church, what that means is I assist the reverend father during all religious ceremonies in my local church. I take my role very seriously. Turning twelve is a huge milestone because it is the last year before I become a teenager and will have to start to be more responsible and take account for myself more often because I would no longer be a child and I'd become a teenager and just thinking about it makes me feel a bit more nervous each time I do. So in a way I feel a certain amount of pressure to become more mature in the days and months that are leading up to my birthday.
On the topic of maturity and responsibility, I have always felt more responsible for my younger brother and my mum, as my dad lives abroad due to work reasons. It’s been hard growing up with him living abroad, especially during covid time as my dad couldn't visit us and to this day I sometimes struggle with handling emotions.
During my free time , I play for a Saturday league football team with a few of my friends and go for football activities at the local football stadium. I enjoy my food and like trying out new ones from different countries.
I enjoy listening to music .my favourite artists are Tyler the Creator , Nle Choppa and Lil Mabu. At school I enjoy English, PE , DT, and art. High school has thought me quite a few new things such as Greek mythology , direct numbers, how to 3D print things and how to build my character. I am currently on the school football team and last season we got to the finals and lost against our rival school team.
In the future, there are a few things I would like to achieve such as play for a Premier league team, become a millionaire and own a brand/team.
A plan for the future me is I want to bring all the community together and live where the air is clean, there are lots of trees, flowers and bees buzzing. To contribute to lower the co2 emissions and improve the air. As I learn new things about trees and the environment, when I become an adult I would like to help children learn things about the community and how to take care of it, just as I am learning now.
In the future I am going to be the owner of many businesses and I will invest in the stock markets. I watched a show about investment where I learnt about S&P 500,the FTSE, NYSE and the various stocks markets around the world.
I hope to be able to start my own business soon, so I can start to make my own money.
When I do make money I will do lots of things with it like buy houses, cars, help charities in the UK, Nigeria and many other places
Kyler, London
I have 3 brothers who can be really annoying sometimes but I really like Evan. When I was younger my mum put me into a football training academy and since then I’ve really loved football.
I really enjoy gaming on my PlayStation and my favourite game currently is Fortnite. At school I’m really good at French and RE, I have loads of friends at school. Outside of school I like to go to fun places like the arcades or bowling and I especially like to play with my cousin Mason but he lives in Kent. On the holiday my auntie brings my cousins to see us and they sleep over, My favourite food is food that is spicy, I really enjoy Takis and Prime and I like to find new ways to make some pocket money. When I’m older I hope to do something to do with gaming so I can make loads of money and help my mum to buy a big house with a swimming pool and a bigger games room.
I like to design my own room and my mum always helps me to do it I don’t have a favourite type of music but I like D Block Europe and other singers like that. When I’m older I’d like to have a fast car and go travel to different countries. In the summer holidays we’re going on our first holiday so we’re really excited I’m scared of dogs and cats even though we used to have a German shepherd.
During the week Monday to Friday I go to school. The days are never the same and sometimes it’s boring. I enjoy going to school because I see my friends and play football, I like to spend time with my mum because she buys me lots of stuff and cooks really good food. I have 3 brothers as well that like to play with me and whenever they're bored, me and my mum and brothers go to the park its quite fun we are always on the swings.
I enjoy playing Fortnite as well because its my favourite game and I’ve always played it. I’m always happy and joyful because I have a lot of people around me that I love and they're always they're to support me whenever I’m down and they always have respect for my privacy whenever I have nothing to do I go on call on discord with my friends that are my besties, they have never got into a argument with me. I also have a lot of fun playing online because I can make a lot of money from games if I play tournament for example a cash cup or a trio cups it can be any tournament. I also enjoy going shopping for new outfits or for food. I love McDonalds, its one of my most favourite fast food restaurant ever, I also enjoy trying to cook food with my family as when I’m older I want to be a cook or join a famous tv show like MasterChef.
I would like to become a doctor because i want to help people around me. I want to do good for all of mankind. I want to become one so that I can help poor people that do not receive any medical care. I want to give medical care to helpless people that are rather discarded from receiving any help for their health. I would also want to be a footballer as my dream job would be to play for Man Utd because ever since I was younger I loved playing football since I was 2 years old. I think I have about 200 trophies and a lot of golden metals.
If those jobs don’t suit me in the future I would like to be a soldier because I’ve always wanted to experience the life of someone that is giving up their life for their kingdom and I would also like to see how hard people work, my dream also would be to have a gaming room because I’ve always wanted to be a gamer and at the same time to have a good job and get paid. My dream PC would be a good high specs PC and a good keyboard and mouse or a good gaming chair that’s mostly the things I would like to be when I’m older for the future.
Bobby, Northern Ireland
I live with my mum, dad, sister, brother and I have a dog named Sasha and its a girl. My hobbies are playing football, playing Xbox, going out with my dad metal detecting and going out with my good mates. I go round to my granny’s and help her with her garden and she loves me doing that for her but I really enjoy it myself, if I had to be honest I also like to go to go to the shop with my friend and get some sweets for that night. On the weekend I love to have a nice takeaway and watch the TV with my dad, we love the Walking Dead it really interests us. I have a cousin called Charlie and he's my favourite cousin I have, he is so funny and smart and likes to play football with me and he is 15 years of age but I am almost bigger than him. I really hate school because they teach you a load of rubbish and they are so bossy, annoying and mean but I do love to play football with my mates in school, it's my favourite thing to do! I am actually very good at football as well and I've been playing since I was 7 years of age. My mum and I love to go Church on Sundays and we always have a good time.
I like to spend my time going to see my family and friends, we go to the shops and we get sweets. I also like to play with my friends on Xbox. We play fortnight and fifa23. I train on a Thursday night football and have been in a football team since I was 7! When we get put of school we sometimes arrange to go to the leisure centre and we sneak into the pitches to play football matches! My friend has an electric scooter but my mum won't allow me on it because she said they are too dangerous! Then we go over to KFC for food! I ring my mum and she picks me up. I have been in town twice. We go into JD and look at the clothes and trainers then we get a McDonald’s! I also go to my granny’s!
My grandad died after Xmas and my granny is so sad! I help cut the grass and do jobs for her. My dad bought me a metal detector so we go walks with it at the beach. I really love it and it's fun! My mum says I need to get out as I am always on Xbox at night so it was a good idea to get the metal detector! I haven't found anything interesting yet but I hope to very soon! My cousin comes to stay sometimes and we watch a movie but sometimes he goes into my brothers room and mess about! My brother is a boxer.
I want to be a builder or a footballer! I would like to be a professional footballer! I told mum and dad I would buy them a house. I want there to be no trouble in the world, I would like to be able to learn to drive and get a nice car and have a lovely house and I would have lots of dogs. I hope to get some exams in 5th year ! I don't like school as the teachers are really cheeky. If I don't get any exams I won't get good pay like my brother! My sister is going to be a teacher so she is very smart. I will also train in the gym in the future. We have a gym out our back in the garage, my brother always trains in it! I have some weights I can lift. I really hope to get scouted for my football as I love it and I support man United! My dad is going to take me to see them for my birthday when I turn 13 in July. I can't wait.
I hope to have a family one day and have 2 boys and 2 girls. In the future the school should ban all exams as the kids only get stressed out and start worrying about them! They also should teach us stuff we need to know and not things like music and geography. I really hope to be big and healthy and never be sick in the future.
Henry, Manchester
I am interested in football, I like to watch football I am basically obsessed with football. I also like to go out and have fun with my mates at the park, I like to go on my bike I also love to bike ride with my family. My favourite foods are Mac n cheese, McDonald’s, spaghetti Bolognese, and chicken tikka masala. For pudding my favourite is sticky toffee pudding and custard or ice cream and I like rice pudding too. I can make this myself now.
I like to watch Tik Tok videos and YouTube videos of funny things and footballers. I have lots of friends who I go to school with and hang out with after school. I have a sister who lives with her boyfriend and I go and stay at theirs once a week. She is 18. I like to play Fortnite with my friends and my brother my best friends are Luke, Ollie and Keane. I play on the school football team. I used to play professionally but left the academy and now play grassroots football at high level. My coach helps me learn and get better at my game. I am a left footer and I enjoy playing on the wing or number 10 position. I love having baths instead of showers and I hate having my hair cut as I don’t like the itchy hair on my skin.
I ride my bike everyday. I like to practice my football. I train on a Tuesday and a Thursday and have a match on a Sunday. When I’m not playing or training I like to practice my shots in the garden. I like tournaments too. I love to play out with my friends from school. We go to the park and to the local shopping centre and to McDonald’s. I like to spend time with my football friends and love to play Xbox I either play rocket league FIFA or Fortnite. I visit my friends and family especially my nana and grandad. I like to go to Manchester City and watch the game with my uncle. I like to try and cook and make my own food like beans on toast or rice pudding.
I like to watch tv and match of the day. I go to the local entertainment centre and play the arcades and go to the cinema. I also do bowling there in the school holidays. I like to play with my brothers in the garden or on the Xbox but sometimes I like to just chill in my room and get some peace and quiet without them. I like it when my friends stay over at the weekends and I love going on holiday with my family. I would rather go in a plane because in the car I get travel sick. Sometimes I like to eat out at Five Guys too that’s my favourite place for a burger either that or McDonald’s.
In the future I would like to be a professional footballer for my favourite team Manchester City because I have a dream that they will call out my name and everyone cheers and sings a chant about me and I will score the last minute winner to win the champions league but if my football doesn’t work out which I doubt it won’t I would like to fix stuff or decorate stuff or do something technology like design stuff in the future. I would like a nice wife or girlfriend 2 or 3 children and house with a swimming pool and a gym and loads of nice ornaments.
I would like to make a football pitch in my back garden for me and my children to play on. I want to have a good job that I can go on loads of nice holidays and have a nice car to drive around in. I want to be able to afford nice clothes for me and my family and take them shopping whenever they want to I want to have a dog a German shepherd as I prefer big dogs that can protect the house and the family. I hope that I get my exams so I can get a good job in the future so if I don’t become a professional footballer I can still earn good money for a good life for me and my children and my wife or girlfriend, I want to drive to nice places in England and maybe go travelling before I get married.
We put real voices at the centre of Real Life Stories - unedited, unfiltered, and uniquely human. By capturing raw, personal perspectives, and combining them with AI-driven analytics and expert interpretation, we help organisations uncover deeper truths and more meaningful data to inform strategy and decision-making.