Challenges of fostering relationships in youth groups with digital natives : a reflection through the works of Sherry Turkle

Abstract

Today’s youth are digital natives. One of the youth minister’s many roles is to help foster relationships among these young people in youth groups. However, research is showing that a youth minister will encounter various difficulties to foster meaningful relationships among youths who, today, live a large part of their daily lives in a virtual online world. This dissertation reviews the work of psychologist Sherry Turkle, who specializes in the psychology of digital natives. The work highlights at least three significant effects that would challenge youth ministry with digital natives. First, that young people are using the virtual world to explore their identity, creating multiple identities in the process, sometimes leading to an identity crisis and unhappy lives. Second, that young people are using the virtual world to hide from the burdens of feelings and emotions, and to avoid taking responsibility for their lives and actions leading to solitude and stunted emotional growth. This has affected the quality of relationships they have with other people as now, deep meaningful relationships, have turned into mere connections. Thirdly, today’s youth prefer the safety of virtual connection to the more challenging face-to-face conversations. Consequently, these three challenges due to online interaction show that youths are experiencing a disconnection from themselves, from the community around them, and from embodied presence and the physical material reality, due to their spending so much time online. This is also leading to a disconnection from God. In these circumstances the youth minister must act as role model for the young people. He has to help them become aware of their vulnerability to technology, and in turn, help them learn how to grow and foster healthy relationships with their friends and with the community in which they live.