Question Iteration 5

Gen Z to Late Adolescent.

I have come to realise that when I explain my project to others, I use the examples 'When your mom says - Do as I say- or - I'm right, listen to me-' people tend to get my project right away. The understanding derived from this is that the issues I'm dealing with are not common to just Gen Z but to an age group. Therefore, the 'Gen Z' part is rephrased to say 'Late adolescents' dealing with 18 - 21 year olds.

According to an article in HealthyChildren.org,

'Late Adolescents (18-21… and beyond!)

Late adolescents generally have completed physical development and grown to their full adult height. They usually have more impulse control by now and may be better able to gauge risks and rewards accurately. In comparison to middle adolescents, youth in late adolescence might find themselves thinking:

• "While I do love Paul Rudd movies, I need to study for my final."

• "I should wear a condom…even though my girlfriend is on birth control, that's not 100% in preventing pregnancy."

• "Even though marijuana is legal, I'm worried about how it might affect my mood and work/school performance."

Teens entering early adulthood have a stronger sense of their own individuality now and can identify their own values. They may become more focused on the future and base decisions on their hopes and ideals. Friendships and romantic relationships become more stable. They become more emotionally and physically separated from their family. However, many reestablish an "adult" relationship with their parents, considering them more an equal from whom to ask advice and discuss mature topics with, rather than an authority figure. '(Allen & Waterman, 2019)

It is understood that Game Theory (Pastine et al., 2017) is a useful and practiced method in schools when kids learn to co-exist in classrooms and play sports. By the arrival of late adolescent, the main stakeholders are about to face society for the first time alone. Since Game Theory requires strategy, this study would focus on these new arrivals on the 'new' emotions and guidance they would need to maneuver the world. Whether they have come for a background of understanding of the elements of Game Theory (even if they don't know the name of it) or whether they missed out on some crucial lessons at their earlier adolescent, where their life will go from the moment they turn 18 is somewhat limited; work, study, serious relationships, and confusion.

In Sri Lanka, schools such as Royal College, St. Thomas' College, Trinity College, Ananda College, VisakhaVidyalaya, Ladies College, St. Bridgets Convent, and Bishops College are considered major players. The entrance to the schools are highly competitive and throughout their years, the competition stays on. Whether it's sports, clubs, grades, or any other leading opportunity, there are too many contenders to go against. Therefore, they already learn Game Theory unknowingly. This is a disadvantage to a person from another school where they didn't have to compete as fierce as the previous mentioned schools. By the age of 18, this subconscious foundation of Game Theory will highlight the major players who will be bold in seizing opportunities. In my interventions, there will be players from different schools to be analysed how well they strategise the way they play the game.

This contributes to further iteration of the question.

The village it takes to raise a child:

Earlier, I chose adults as being parents, grandparents, aunts/uncles, siblings etc. However, as I look at the entrance of 18 - 21 into society, and what information they could receive that would be useful, it is evident I should keep aside categorising the 'village' into generations and look for those who have experienced what the key players are about to experience. Therefore, the question will still stay at the 'village it takes to raise a child' but instead of the use of word 'adult', it will recognise the significance of the word 'village'.

Question iteration:

Previous:

How can I equip Gen Z to contexualise communication between them and their immediate adult circle?

Current:

How can I equip the late adolescent in Sri Lanka to contexualise communication between them and the village it takes to raise them?

Allen, B. & Waterman, H., 2019. Stages of adolescence. HealthyChildren.org. Available at: https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/teen/Pages/Stages-of-Adolescence.aspx [Accessed August 10, 2022].