there is a really interesting article on young teenagers decision making. The fact is that 12-16 year olds think in the now and don’t look to the future, but it’s why that might surprise you:
According to popular stereotype, young teenagers are shortsighted, leaving them prone to poor judgment and risky decision-making when it comes to issues like taking drugs and having sex. Now a new study confirms that teens 16 and younger do think about the future less than adults, but explains that the reasons may have less to do with impulsivity and more to do with a desire to do something exciting.
To me, that puts a charge to youth pastors and parents to put their kids in situations that are new and exciting. Not in an entertainment sort of way but in a living out ministry kind of way.
But it may not be impulsivity that guides their lack of forethought. Instead, the study found that teens are shortsighted more due to immaturity in the brain systems that govern sensation seeking than to immaturity in the brain systems responsible for self-control.
Students don’t seek out church or a relationship with Jesus because it is not exciting, at least we (adults) have lived our lives so that students see it that way. Please don’t understand me as saying that youth groups need to do more stuff. That’s the last thing they need. We must live our lives in a way that students see excitement, experience sensation, experience the spirit. And if we live life like Jesus did it shouldn’t be too hard.
