Getting Teens Revved Up: How to Engage Teens and Young Adults in Discussion

I AM not the Media, Inc. learns a lot from each encounter and workshop presented, especially when it comes to engaging teenagers and young adults in our discussions and activities. A question we always ask ourselves as facilitators is: how can we consistently capture the attention of teens so they share our excitement about  the topics we present? We came up with three factors that certainly help us when preparing for a session.

The first thing we do is contextualize the discussion. For instance, if we want to talk about violence we might introduce the topic by talking about how adults behave in certain reality shows, like Love & Hip Hop Atlanta. By presenting visual examples and analyzing the videos selected, we help teens assess how the media depicts certain behaviors as socially acceptable or cool, even when specific behaviors may not be the best way to achieve certain life goals in the real world. It is crucial for people to make informed decisions. Sexting appears to be something very common amongst teens, but what they may not know is that sharing and possessing images and videos of underage people is still considered a felony and may lead to troubles with the law. Our aim is that every workshop contributes to critical thinking, helping teens make their own decisions and understand the possible consequences. 

Another important thing is to pay attention to everybody that is in the room. Anytime we enter a new space with new teens, we make sure that we are connecting with all of them so that everyone feels like they can contribute to our discussions. Most of the time, teens are just shy and all they need is a little encouragement to express their point of view, which usually happens when you ask them a direct question. Asking the right questions might help them engage and think.

And last but not least, we always try to have fun and exciting activities that create a relaxed atmosphere, something that stimulates our teens and encourages them to reflect on and apply the new information they received. During THE REALITY SHOW workshop, for example, all teens become a reality show producer. They receive their own badges and gather in groups to participate in a trivia game. The trivia questions are specially designed to address the issues previously discussed, helping them retain the information given. At the same time, the competition creates a dialogue, promoting teens to bond with their peers and discuss the answers. Usually, this is the time when teens engage the most. They are always fighting to be the first ones to respond, raising their hands and answering questions even before the facilitator calls their names. It is also the time when even the shyest person shifts his/her behavior and engages with the conversation.