Wednesday, August 2, 2017

Data from U of Michigan's Monitoring the Future - Data on Teens and behaviors, attitudes, values

http://www.monitoringthefuture.org/

Monitoring the Future is an ongoing study of the behaviors, attitudes, and values of American secondary school students, college students, and young adults. Each year, a total of approximately 50,000 8th, 10th and 12th grade students are surveyed (12th graders since 1975, and 8th and 10th graders since 1991). In addition, annual follow-up questionnaires are mailed to a sample of each graduating class for a number of years after their initial participation. The Monitoring the Future Study has been funded under a series of investigator-initiated competing research grants from theNational Institute on Drug Abuse, a part of the National Institutes of Health. MTF is conducted at the 
Survey Research Center in theInstitute for Social Research at theUniversity of Michigan.

Monday, July 31, 2017

Friday, July 28, 2017

An Exercise with Independence and Individualism

Close your eyes.  Think of someone influential in your life.  


Now write down who you thought about and why you thought about that person.



When you are finished, click here.




In what ways are Americans afraid of being dependent on others? 


Do you think that this is related to our value of independence and freedom? 

In what ways do you depend on other people? Does this bother you? 


Another great example of these values influencing us negatively is explored in this TED talk by Brene Brown. She speaks about vulnerability and our culture. We want to numb our feelings of vulnerability, but in doing so we also numb our feelings of connection to others and our sense of worthiness which allows us to feel love and happiness.
The feeling of individualism and independence that creates this lack of invulnerability may also detach us from feelings of gratitude that help contribute to our happiness.