I was extremely excited to hear that PBS’s documentary show, Frontline has put together a show on adolescents and the media. It's called, Growing Up Online. This past week, my students and I watched this together as a part of a class which I teach at Railton School for Youth Worker Training. The class is called, Studying the Social Worlds of Children and Youth.
I was very interested to observe my student youth workers watching “Growing Up Online” – as they represent some of the first youth workers that have grown-up as natives of the online world. Most of my students do not remember a world in which the internet did not exist. So while I viewed this as an immigrant to the digital world, they viewed it as natives.
This change has serious implications when considering a missiology of youth work. In mission studies, there is a remarkable difference which takes place in the contextualization of the gospel to a culture when a shift takes place from immigrant to native missionaries. Missiologists Ralph Winter and Bruce Koch refer to this as E-1, -2 & -3, evangelism. E-3 would be evangelism that crosses a cultural and language barriers as well as physical barriers. For example, going to a foreign country would constitute what he would consider E-3 Evangelism. E-2 evangelism would require crossing some sort of barrier, such as a physical barrier. E-1 evangelism would be when a person reaches out to their own people group.
When considering the ‘virtual’ as opposed to physical barrier of the online media world, one 
could easily perceive of the online world as a new frontier - as it has many similarities to that of an undiscovered tribe or people group. However, the shift from physical to virtual space is only one of many barriers that must be crossed by youth workers. Cultural engagement requires a person to learn new, online languages (whose code is continually changing); operate under new social structures; learn new customs, etc. It actually might be easier to go to a foreign country than it is to continuously be up t speed with the never-ending morphing culture of the online world. When looked at from this perspective, it becomes clear that there is a distinction between those who are completely foreign to the codes and customs of online tribes; those who have become familiar through continuous, intensive study; and those who have grown up in this virtual culture.
Personally, I would consider myself an immigrant to the digital world. As a youth worker committed to the contextualization of the gospel to culture, I have intentionally chosen to work (like an anthropologist) at learning about and engaging these worlds. I have read books on the history of the internet, video-gamming, the psychology and sociology of online activity, I have blogged and read blogs, I have played games, connected with people on FaceBook, etc. All of these are actions that I have intentionally made as a student of these cultures – and I have taken these steps in order to learn more about online virtual worlds and how children and youth live, move and present themselves. However, no matter how much I learn and engage these worlds, I will always be an immigrant to the virtual world – because I was born in a different world. I entered this world as an adult. I will always be something of an outsider.
This is totally different to most of my students – who cannot even fathom a world without cellphones, online social networking sites, instant messaging, YouTube, etc. Even my own daughters are regular participants in the media-sphere through WebKinz and Club Penguin!
So, what was the difference between an immigrant and a native’s perspective on a documentary about growing up online? Well, I would encourage you to interact with my student’s perspectives on this show. I asked them to write about their thoughts on the documentary both as natives to this world and as youth workers that are seeking to reclaim children and youth. These could possibly be two different lenses through which they engage this show - however, it might not be... They can speak for themselves! I am going to attach a link to each of their postings (as they send these to me!):
As I watched the show, I was very interested to note how my students were reacting to what they were viewing. Often, there was a communal laugh in the room – like an insider’s joke at a member’s only club. I was especially interested in their perspective on the mother who reported to the Principal and parents that her son and all of his friends were drunk on a trip into New York City. Cell phones recorded some anti-social behavior which was immediately uploaded to YouTube and a variety of other web sharing sites. As a parent and an immigrant to the digital world, I found myself empathizing with the Mother (while questioning the wisdom of some of her actions) whereas most of my students reacted with complete horror at what happened. As I viewed the documentary, my personal response was that this culture was somewhat anarchic – a virtual Lord of the Flies! Children and youth who were engaging a no-holds-barred culture without a moral compass. However, I recognized that this was my reaction and perspective as an immigrant. It was at that point that I realized that there was a whole new insider’s perspective that I was completely oblivious to.
Marshall McLuhan has observed that when a new technology is introduced into a culture that there are significant psycho-social shifts which take place in a culture. Often these shifts are not easily perceived of by those who are in the midst of such entropic change. I think that one of the most significant changes in social structure is that those who are considered children and youth are in the position of authority as they are natives to this culture while parents are perceived of as socially and culturally incompetent. This places a great deal of strain on the parent-child relationship. Similarly, those who are in positions of leadership in ministry to youth often find themselves in the vulnerable position of being a cultural outsider. We don’t understand the psyche of youth who are growing up online. We haven’t considered what I would call ‘virtual ethics and moral development.’
As a person deeply committed to sharing the gospel of hope with children and youth and to developing young leaders, I want to empower a generation of natives to the digital world to begin to consider how to communicate the gospel in virtual cultures. I can only engage in Winter and Koch's E-2 and E-3 forms of witness. Whereas my students are able to engage these cultures as digital natives in E-1 evangelism.
I pray that as this world which is a social reality to our youth becomes more and more a cultural norm, that we would have more adults who are willing to cross the threshold to become immigrants to this environment; and that we would be able to develop leaders who are immigrants to this world who would be able to help cultivate a spirit of wisdom, moral reasoning and godliness in the digital world.
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