Filed in: Contribution
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During adolescence, the ages of 10 to 25, immense physical and cognitive growth expands our ability to understand, support, and care for those around us. These years are a critical time in development when young people build the skills necessary to give back to their communities, and when brain and social development increase our capacity to contribute. Opportunities to contribute, to reflect on the meaning of our contributions, and to have our contributions recognized are all important for the future health and well-being of young people.
The ways that young people contribute are comprehensive and expansive. When young people give their time, energy, guidance, ideas, money, or support to their families, peers, or communities, they are contributing. Young people can also contribute to their families or communities by achieving something or succeeding in a way that brings others joy, happiness, or pride.
We know that contributions can be beneficial to others, but during adolescence, contributing can be essential for healthy development, including physical and mental well-being.
“It is really fascinating; across the board, [contributing] really supports a lot of positive aspects of adjustment,” says Andrew. “It predicts higher levels of motivation and achievement, better psychological well-being, and even better physical health.”
Studies show that contributing during adolescence can lead to positive health outcomes, like a decreased risk for cardiovascular disease, lower inflammatory markers, and even lower cholesterol levels. Reflecting on how your contributions matter to others can lead to higher academic achievement and motivation.
To support positive health outcomes for our young people, programs and policies should encourage contribution by providing opportunities, or space, for young people to meaningfully give to those around them.
Contributing is also important for building healthy social connections and strengthening social groups. During adolescence, we become increasingly sensitive to social acceptance or rejection. It becomes more important to us to feel that we are both needed and useful in our social groups.
Contributing can increase our likelihood of being accepted in a social group, which itself can support positive development and well-being. Studies show that feeling needed and useful can also predict higher self-esteem and less loneliness and depression among adolescents.
“As we look at what predicts whether a young person is accepted by their peers,” says Andrew. “Increasingly, as we get older, it is based more and more and more on kindness and contributions.”
And, some young people may feel more of a need to contribute and could benefit from opportunities and time to do so. For example, studies have shown that belonging to certain ethnic or immigrant groups increases your willingness and desire to contribute, leading to positive outcomes.
During our adolescent years, we develop more autonomy and search for opportunities that allow us to make our own decisions and earn respect. Programs that support agency, independent decision making, and autonomy in our contributions can be particularly powerful.
The Contribution Project, created by National Scientific Council on Adolescence member Anthony Burrow, provides $400 for young people to contribute in any way they see fit. This is one example of a program encouraging independent decision-making while letting young people know that their opinions on how they want to contribute to others are respected and valued by adults and programs.
Another webinar participant explained that in Philadelphia, they have implemented a program called ArtWell, which supports young people in using art to explore their identity and participate in activism. In addition to allowing their young people to participate in advocating for their communities and cultural identities, Artwell also empowers adolescents to provide input into how the program is run and implemented, providing multiple ways for them to contribute.
One participant of the Spring Point webinar noted that programs tend to “focus on needs” of adolescents, and “not strengths.” By respecting young people’s opinions and ideas on how and why they contribute, we can encourage contribution in a way that supports key aspects of healthy development.
It is important to note that although contribution can support positive outcomes, many young people face inequities in their opportunities and necessities to contribute. For example, some young people may need to contribute to their families in a way that becomes a burden or takes away limited time for school, friends, or other interests.
Contributing should not be encouraged or supported if it is “necessary because of stress or dysfunction, or if it is an activity that is hard to obtain a sense of meaning and purpose,” explained Andrew.
Young people need to have their own immediate needs met before they contribute to those around them. In some instances, supporting young people to contribute could look like giving them extra time with their family or making sure that their contributions are valued, seen, and respected in an equitable way.
“Contributions can’t interfere with other activities and can’t be too much of a burden,” says Andrew.
Supporting contribution during adolescence is critical for positive development. Not only does contributing support positive physical, psychological, and mental health well into adulthood, but it also helps young people become generous, helpful, and caring members of their social world.
Providing opportunities for young people to contribute in meaningful ways that are both respected and considered useful, while also being manageable for adolescents, should be considered a priority for programs, policies, and caring adults.
“The story of adolescence really is the continued refinement and the connectivity of these different kinds of systems, so we can engage in the complex decision making, emotional regulation, and contributions that make us important members of our community,” concludes Andrew.
If you are interested in other webinars from Spring Point Partners that explore how developmental science can be implemented in practice and policy, sign up for their newsletter on their website here: https://thespringpoint.com/
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