Is technology sabotaging the adolescent's journey to creating healthy community?

Abstract

Is technology sabotaging the adolescent's journey to creating healthy community? This is the question this researcher explored in this thesis. This researcher completed a literature review which delved into the impact of technology on adolescent's ability to create and foster healthy community and relationships. This researcher also developed his own qualitative research tool, where he used a survey with a series of questions aimed at adolescents. The intent of the questions was to uncover how much time adolescents were spending in four areas: texting, internet, family and friends. This researcher concludes from the data that the adolescent who does not know how to form relationships without technology does not know how to forge relationships or have healthy community. Humans are designed to have intimate healthy relationships with one another. When this design is destroyed, their potential is diminished. As a result of the research this researcher designed a 9^th grade adventure program called “Undivided” which is a simple adventure education program that can be easily adapted and used in curriculum by schools globally.