Garbage In, Garbage Out
I
Whitney Daniels
would have to argue that choices have the biggest
influence on ones future. Everyone knows that with
any choice, comes a consequence. Each decision, big or
small, adds or diminishes the building of ones
character. There are extreme choices that impact an
individuals life forever such as a juvenile felony, but most
would agree that the choices made as a teenager wont last
forever. I disagree. I believe that teens must consciously
participate in prosocial activities, that is, to engage in
meaningful, positive, helpful behaviors with the intent to assist
other people. In doing so, they will become a responsible
citizen, avoid harmful substance and practices, discover the joy
of service, make meaningful relationships, and to find a
passion in life. Organizations, such as YouthWorks, must to be
promoted and funded. The time is now. If we leave this issue
unresolved, the outcome will be irresponsible, self-centered
adults.
In the article, Prosocial Behavior: Long-Term
Trajectories and Psychosocial Outcomes published by the
Social Development journal, it gives some valuable
information in connection to involvement in prosocial
activities. In the study, researchers, teachers, and parents
monitored 284 children from the fourth to the twelfth grade and
rated their prosocial behavior each year. When the students
graduated, the results were intriguing. They concluded that
students who had high levels of prosocial behavior had lower
levels of externalizing behavior. Externalizing behaviors
include physical aggression, disobeying, cheating, stealing, and
destruction of property, to name a few. The opposite was true
as well, groups with low levels of prosocial activity levels had
higher levels of externalizing behavior. This displays that
when students participate in prosocial activities they will
exhibit admirable behavior and good character.
How can schools support prosocial ideals? Recently in
a TED talk by James Kendra that I watched, it gave the idea of
a content-free curriculum. This means that in school,
particularly in social studies, that teachers should discuss
materials that are important and relevant to students. Kendra
argues that this will make students more likely to become
responsible citizens. When a student is participating in these
discussions, they are learning to be prosocial. They can give
ideas that will contribute to a better society. They can view
how others have demonstrated prosocial behavior and can learn
from their examples. We can use public education as a tool for
students to become more prosocial.
In the book Guidance of Young Children by Marian
Marion, it compares self-esteem to the computer programming
phrase, garbage in garbage out. The term basically means that
when you feed invalid data into the computer, nothing of use
comes from the output. The same is true with the choices and
the activities that teenagers feed into their lifestyle. If they fill
their lives with productive, worthwhile activities, the resulting
consequences will be just as favorable. However, when time is
spent doing idle or useless activities, there is more time to get
involved with harmful behaviors. The output will negative.
When adolescents are not choosing to participate in
prosocial activities, they often get involved with drug and
alcohol abuse and other harmful practices. Michael Shader,
from the U.S. Department of Justice gives research as to what
factors contribute to juvenile delinquency. While many of these
risks are predestined, others can be controlled. Shader states
that, there is no single path to delinquency and note that the
presence of several risk factors often increases a youths
chance of offending. However notable risk factors include
dishonesty, weak family structure, neglect, poorly disciplined,
gang membership, poor academic performance, neighborhood
of crime, and poor relationships. While participating in
prosocial behaviors will not make the risk factors disappear, it
will teach them skills that
can be used as
protective factors
against the risks.
Not only do
prosocial activities
help teens avoid harmful behaviors, but they initiate beneficial
rewards as well. Prosocial activities strive to help other people.
Service is key to learning how to see outside of yourself. In
my own experience, being prosocial has helped me to
recognize the joy in serving others. Prosocial activities are
centered around volunteering your time or talents to benefit
other people. Encouraging teenagers to participate in service
projects helps them to make a habit of helping. This builds
their character.
The magazine Teaching the Tweens published an article
titled Research Matters, Promoting Adolescents Prosocial
Behavior. In the article one of the main focuses was in
correlation to relationships. It emphasized that a schools
culture has a tremendous influence on the student. We know hadnt heard of YouthWorks until recently. These programs
that prosocial behavior promotes empathy, responsibility, and need to be recognized by schools and other facilities that work
moral values. Because peer relationships are so important other closely with youth. Additionally, we need more programs like
students will notice when prosocial behavior is being modeled YouthWorks so that there are outlets that students can attend to
by other students. reap the benefits of participating in prosocial activities.
Participating in specific volunteer programs create In conclusion, I feel that there are many advantages to
lasting relationships. A good being involved in prosocial activities. It will help students gain
friend of mine spent a few social skills, good habits, significant relationships, and finding
years volunteering at the passions in life. Each decision that a teenager makes affects
hospital. She gained many them in some sense, both now and in the future. There are
friendships from that numerous ways that we can help adolescents in their guidance
experience. She then found and leading them to productive activities. Lets encourage
passion in nursing and has chosen that as her occupation. youth to be fed with good activities so that they can obtain the
This leads me to the next point. Finding a passion at a positive results that come with good choices.
P
s
a
d
in
F
e
f
L
h
oz
C
b
Jy
A
lt
R
u
B
p
c
S
r
v
/
Hg
m
young age often leads them to their future career. Sometimes
in the winds of change, we find our true direction. If there is
no room for change we may find the right direction. Different
Benefits of
volunteer work can lead to different occupational dreams. Prosocial
There needs to be resources that can be accessed to Behavior
become more aware of serving those around them. Public
education can only do so much. YouthWorks is an example of a
positive program that is in our community. Like many of you, I