Increasing Life Effectiveness

Abstract

The iPod, more than any other device, is indicative of the times in which we live. It provides entertainment and information at the click of a wheel, whenever, and wherever we want it. The iPod is tool of choice for many of the current generation of youth who fill their days with electronic devices, computer games, Youtube, Myspace, Facebook and talking to friends on MSN. These youth have been referred to as the iGeneration, or Google Generation; whatever you choose to call them, they are the young people in our schools. Life is not simple for many of these students. They are growing up in a world vastly different to that of their parents. Today’s world features “cultural pluralism, increased anxiety about personal and environmental risks, precarious employment, rampant consumerism, the information deluge, greater individualisation and increased instability in families” (Hughes, 2007). Within this quickly changing world, there is a need for students to develop the capacity to cope with their ever-changing environment. They need to be resilient. Outdoor education activities have been proposed as one way of increasing a person’s resilience through increasing ‘Life Effectiveness’ skills. These skills equip students to handle the demands of life and impact a person’s capacity to adapt, survive, and thrive (Neill, 2008). They will enhance a person’s resilience and their sense of wellbeing.