An analysis of the NUF SAID survey results reveals a youth population in Chicago concerned about employment opportunities and violence in their communities. An excerpt of the analysis is below (click here to read the full PDF document).

“Overall the theme of uncertainty recognized among youth researchers was also clearly apparent in the responses of the young people in our sample. Their biggest overarching concern is not having a job with good wages (33.8%), a fear that is even more pronounced among older youth 18-24 year old (46.0%). A job is primarily seen as a means to gain independence (31%) by way of paying for living expenses (18.2%) and more generally to build one’s future (23.6%), which corresponds with mainstream normative expectations of economic independence as a critical precondition for the achievement of adult status. Consequently, young people view certain types of activities such as making fliers during an afterschool program as a job only if they provide monetary rewards (37.6%), opportunities to increase one’s human capital through the acquisition of skills (21.8%) or stability (13.9%). Without a job, the majority of youth in our sample would look for a job (74.4%), but they would also be more likely to hang out (74.1%) and while about half would study more (51.4%) about one fourth (23.3%) thinks that a job might actually keep them out of trouble. The latter point is important to keep in mind, because jobs and opportunities for youth were also seen as the most important way to prevent violence in the neighborhood (38.5%).”

Reminiscent of the James Kilpatrick & Shana Alexander face-offs called “Point / Counterpoint” on “60 Minutes,” two teens present differing opinions on the unemployment situation among youth in Chicago.

POINT: Teens can find a job; they aren’t enterprising enough and won’t consider jobs that they consider “beneath” them.

Read the Point article here on Google Docs

COUNTERPOINT: Teens cannot find a job, no matter how hard they try. And a job is worth much more than the money it pays.

Read the Counterpoint article here on Google Docs

NUF SAID youth analyze data collected from their peers

It’s no secret that youth are drawn to the social media technologies that have come to define their generation. It’s difficult to find a young person these days who doesn’t have at least one regularly-updated profile on any of a number of social networking sites.

But for a group of youth media makers in Chicago, using social media technologies has gone beyond the routine status update or IM session. These young artists and journalists have used the power and popularity of social networking sites to disseminate peer-to-peer surveys. The surveys, written by youth, for youth, ask young respondents to weigh in about the issues they care about most.

The project, called NUF SAID, is a program of the Chicago Youth Voices Network that engages youth from around the city through the collaborative efforts of ten Chicago-based youth media organizations. The NUF SAID crew has been working since January to create and circulate the online surveys, which have attracted over 850 respondents.

But the project doesn’t end there. The NUF SAID youth participants plan to use the data they collect from the surveys to inform their media creation this summer. As journalists and artists, they are trained to find out what their peers care about most and respond with thoughtful and compelling media. Using familiar social media technologies is just one more way for youth media makers to understand how young people are faring in their communities and then use the power of media to bring these stories to life.

Look for lots of original NUF SAID media coming this summer.