Students in the 21st century are not that different than just before the turn of the century. The one big change and challenge for today’s teen is becoming sexually active and being open and non-judgmental with each other. This week I chose to observe my Church youth group mainly because being a 6’6” 300lb African American male and in today’s, world I wouldn’t feel comfortable watching random teens. Every Wednesday we have youth service so I asked our Youth Pastor to observe the youth.
Communication styles:
The kids in my church’s youth group were scattered all around the youth room in their little groups. As I walked around the room I tried to eavesdrop on the kids. They were leaning on each other and sitting on one another. Some of their nonverbal communications haven’t changed from my teen days. Girls still hug and hold each other’s hands, and boys still have secret handshakes. Some kids were sitting and texting and some were playing foosball. Everyone was talking; it was so loud in the room. I think I’m getting old.
Social/interpersonal behaviors:
The social behaviors for a church youth group I’m guessing that it’s not what really goes on out and public. I have been out shopping and seen teens smoking and using profanities, but that is not the case at church. I know my kids don’t smoke or drink mainly because they don’t go anywhere without us other than with the youth group. I can’t say the same for the other kids and I’m not sure 100% with my kids about profanity. I have had to have talks about it in the past.
Topics of discussion:
Surprisingly, they were not talking about God; most of them were talking about their day. The boys at the foosball table were not saying much past who was next and the score. Groups of girls were talking about One Direction, Justin what’s his face and boys from school. They were also talking about what to do this weekend and their outfits. Boys were discussing sports, the latest video game, and a few of them were talking about girls at school. I wasn’t surprised that the only difference in the conversations from my day was the names of the bands.
Verbiage:
There really weren’t a lot of words that they used that weren’t part of most people’s verbiage. The few words that I caught were, swag which means style, they used some things that seem to be still around from the late 80’s like YO, G, and bitter. I did hear a few girls say “Oh my G bruh” and have no clue as to why. The teens in youth either don’t have a secret language or a way of talking that is clearly different from most of us or at church they just don’t use it.
Attitudes:
I know from talking with my children that the attitudes of most teens are really friendly and out going today, but there are a few teens that feel like everyone is against them. At church in the youth group, the Youth Pastor preaches that we are all family and everyone needs to feel the love of Christ when they come. So it’s one big happy family everyone is happy and cheerful or at least it seems that way.
Clothing and body art ect:
Today’s fashion is all over the place in our youth group. We have skinny jeans, baggy jeans, cowboys, country boys, preps, jocks, you name it we have it.
Tonight I had a lot of fun hanging out in the youth service; I just might start volunteering with them. Truly, I’m not sure if I got a view of the average everyday teen, but my life isn’t in the regular world. I really hope to be a teacher at either this Military Charter School that just opened this year or get started in a low-income area and help kids like I was to get inspired and make a change in their own life.