A general summary of characteristics of contemporary youth spiritality

Prominent elements in the spirituality of contemporary young people: Note: This is not a list in any order of priority but a portrait of generic characteristics.

1 Ideals As regards direction for living, young people look for guidance in clear statements of ideas and ideals about life and its management. They are very idealistic. But at the same time, many feel autonomous and self-reliant, and not very trusting of authorities. Some may oscillate between being idealistic and not caring. For some, definite, black-and-white answers are needed; others can live comfortably with fuzzy ideas about life by focusing on the here and now and on pursuing a particular lifestyle.

2 Varied sources of spirituality Young people draw from varied sources in constructing their meaning, purpose and values:- family, friends, personal mentors, their own religion, other religions, secular movements, popular culture, social media. Their values can be modelled on prominent people, heroes/heroines and celebrities. Their eclectic spirituality can be affected by magazines, film, television, music and more recently social media and a range of internet activities. They tend not to see any so-called division between the secular and the religious . They may see a spiritual dimension woven through life. Some actively search for meaning and are said to have a ‘hunger' for spirituality. But the proportion that does this may be small; a much greater number are more concerned with lifestyle.

3. Pressures from the new media Increasingly over recent years, much of the non-school time of young people is spent engaged with a ‘screen life' on smart phone, tablet, computer or television. Many cannot walk across an intersection without ‘poring' on their phone. Who they communicate with via texting and social media appears to be having a profound influence on how they perceive life.

For some, their screen life is a cause of a permanent low level anxiety about their projected image and media performance. Recently, people have been calling for the banning of smartphones and tablets at school, with a particular interest in reducing bullying. But now, going home at 3:30 pm is no longer the usual means of getting away from bullying at school; many young people carry the bully's weapon of choice in their own hands and they constantly pay attention to it. That in some instances, bullying has progressed to the point where it has caused child suicides is very disturbing. Young people need to learn that along with the fun and communications available through social media, once they join, they put themselves up for ‘public evaluation' by others and they open an easy channel to potential manipulation and humiliation.
Many even spend an hour or more with their phone before retiring, upsetting the normal melatonin sleep rhythms, often resulting in physiological and behavioural problems, especially in the mornings. Also, the problem of bullying needs to be understood within the wider cultural context where entertainment from humiliation has become a prominent theme in sit-coms, action films and in so-called reality television – you can laugh at, and take pleasure in the discomfort of others, what the German language calls s chadenfreude . Like the common feature in the Big Bang Theory , during conversations individuals can look for opportunities to fire their own ‘zingers' to put down friends in a fun way. Further, the nasty things that people can say to others on the spur of the moment can now be put on Twitter, a blog or a review and broadcast to the whole world.

How to get young people to critically evaluate their screen life to see what benefits and problems it creates is difficult because the smartphone has become such an icon of individuality and identity that to question its place as an essential vade mecum would be experienced as a personal attack on their identity and integrity.

Another problem is in helping them learn something about the emerging social and political complexities arising from the widespread use of social media. Just how what's ‘trending', blogs, bots, trolls and memes etc. have been used to shape people's thinking needs investigation. Also there is a need to look at these issues from historical perspective. Much has happened in thinking about ways of influencing the collective consciousness since Orwell's 1984 , and Noam Chomsky's Manufacturing consent . Now people are concerned about questions such as meme wars and cyber terrorism.

4 Being part of a community of faith If they are interested in religion, it will need to appear personalised , and not too prescriptive as regards morality and beliefs. The feeling of being accepted and comfortable within a local faith community is crucial; they need to feel that their needs and interests are being attended to, and they want to have a say in religious affairs. It is not inconsistent for some youth to want to dismiss particular religious beliefs and rules, while at the same time wanting to be part of the community. Some identify with popular pentecostal churches. Many youth have little or no interest in organised religion.

5 Group membership Social and friendship groups often provide a psychological ‘home base' for adolescents that has a major influence on their thinking and behaviour, especially for girls; the ‘group' is often their principal ‘interface with the world'. Online ‘chatting' and their inner circle of SMS or Social Media contacts have become prominent in group communication and identification. There is often some internal conflict between the desire to be an individual while paying the price of conformism for group acceptance. Some may see ethnicity as important while others will dismiss it as irrelevant. Group identification can underpin aggression and violence.

Rather than join specifically religious groups, they may prefer to participate in movements with social and environmental concerns such as Amnesty International or protest groups, especially those concerned with improvement of the quality of life. Yet there are a significant number of young people who do want to be part of a religious group. At universities, many but not all of those in religious groups tend to be active in evangelising activities.

6 The prolongation of adolescence While perhaps more individualistic, more aware of lifestyle options and with higher life expectations than their forebears, young people face an increasing period of dependence on family before becoming financially independent and fending for themselves. This situation generates various social and psychological frustrations that impact on personal relationships and group membership. It affects all of the following in complex ways:- a pragmatic and existential approach to life; the urge to travel, often in backpacker format; sexual relationships, especially casual ones; partying, and the use of alcohol and recreational drugs; playing video games; career choice; sense of responsibility; capacity for commitment and long-term relationships; ambivalence

about traditional goals such as settling down, marriage and raising a family. They see life like a ‘degustation menu' – they can pick and choose from a variety of lifestyle options at will, trying them out. They have many more options than did the precocious ‘baby boomers' and they are more ready to explore them. Tasting from an extensive range of sporting opportunities is also available for Australia's sport-hungry teenagers.

Some youth can appear to ‘amble' along this path feeling reasonably self-centred and comfortable until something dramatic leads to a change in their circumstances or confronts their opportunistic approach to life – an experience that accelerates their development as adults as the world intrudes on their thinking.

The prolongation of adolescence tracks back to those of school age and affects their expectations. Some can adopt the extended adolescent lifestyle well before they leave school, regarding school attendance as an extension of their leisure time with some incidental learning.

7 Cultural plurality Young people value the global aspects of popular culture with which they identify, especially clothing styles and music. But at the same time they are ambivalent about the extensive cultural plurality they experience in Western countries. They are puzzled about how to understand the extraordinary range of belief systems and behaviours in the culture and they may take refuge in closed social groups. Unrest in the worlds' trouble spots and the large numbers of refugees have become a concern. Many are puzzled about potential solutions and may wonder if there is no solution. They may worry about potential problems with multiculturalism in their own country and place of domicile.

8 Social and political concerns Compared with the politicised views of youth in the 1960s and 1970s, today's young people are generally wary of, and disillusioned with, political institutions and large corporations; authority is questioned and not respected. Yet they do little to challenge the status quo, realising that they do not have much political leverage in any case. Rebellion and dissent are expressed through violent and anarchic lyrics in rap and hip-hop. There is a level of acceptance of job insecurity; there is a pervading sense that they will have to be adaptable in employment. Some will be prepared to barter a ‘good' job for lifestyle options. Still, there is concern about unemployment and exploitative business practices such as problems with economic rationalism and the globalisation of commerce – irresponsible economic activity on the part of the corporate world; ‘fair' trade rather than ‘free' trade that masks the production of goods by child labour or sweatshops; casualisation of employment and the deregulation of the Australian workplace. Some young people will not worry too much about these potential threats as long as they do not appear to affect their lifestyle. For others, the gap between hopes for career and a successful life and the reality of possible unemployment is an ongoing source of worry. The threat of unemployment can be distressing when there is a fear that no matter what their educational attainments, they may end up not being able to get a position in their desired area of work. The popular culture tells them that “you can be anything you want”. But reality may fly in the face of this myth, and the conflict between hopes and reality can be painful.

9 Environmental concerns In addition to the increased public acknowledgment of environmental issues, more awareness of these issues is fostered in school subjects such as Science, Geography, Economics, Society and Culture, and Religion – as well as in media awareness programs like Cleanup Australia. The young have an excellent environmental education but this does not always readily translate into actual support by young people; for example, Cleanup Australia usually attracts only a small percentage of youth. But there is in spirit strong support for initiatives that are pro-environment. Some, but not too many, see the inconsistency between pursuing a consumerist lifestyle and being concerned about environmental and consumerist issues. Others are agitating in favour of ecological sustainability and in opposition to environmental degradation.

10 Anxiety about a violent society While earlier generations were anxious about a possible nuclear holocaust, since 9/11, the periodic terrorist attacks in so many countries and the overt efforts of law enforcement to maintain security and public protection have created a backdrop of fear and anxiety, even if this is at a low level. Now there are almost daily reminders of global terrorism. As a result, in perceptibly higher numbers, there is a hardening in prejudice against minorities and those who do not appear to embrace lifestyle and belief systems similar to what they think is the Westernised norm; in turn, this generates contrary antagonism on the part of minority groups. A positive valuing of multiculturalism and a multi-faith community has been diminished as the hopes for a peaceful and tolerant society recede. Other concerns contributing to anxiety are levels of crime, more people in prison, increased evidence of security measures and surveillance, and tighter immigration and refugee controls. And there is concern about the rise of ethnic gangs.

The above list of characteristics includes a range of social issues that might well be selected for student research as proposed in chapter 10 of Life to the full. One of the concerns of youth is their feeling of being powerless in relation to many of the issues. Studying them will not make the problems go away; and it will not necessarily decrease their sense of defencelessness. But some understanding of them, especially with awareness of the complex influences in play, can be helpful in formulating their own personal moral stance. And this can in turn be helpful for their coping, and possibly for seeing what voice and agency they might aspire to.

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