Research Memo

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Can friendship be ageless?

Hypothesis- Friendship is a complicated relationship. It is difficult to find someone you relate to and also can trust. I had a difficult time forming friendships with peers my age due to my interests and beliefs. In life if things get rough where do teens and or young adults turn to? Most turn to friends their own age and others turn to adults. Some find the answers they need through people their own age and others find the answers from adults who went through the same hardship. Unfortunately, our society friendship between an adult and youth are frowned upon. Society tends to think negatively.

Context- My audience was a melting pot. I aimed to survey the youth (ages 16 to 29) and also adults(ages 30 and up). I chose these respondents because every generation has a different view of friendship and what is appropriate and inappropriate  

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	Youths: 15	Adults: 11
Shared a friendship with someone older/ younger.	9	7
Level of comfort with a youth and adult being friends. 1-10, 10 being the most comfortable.	6 teens said a level 9 of comfort. 8 teens said a level 10 of comfort. 1 teen said a level 8 of comfort.	11 adults said they were on a comfort level of 10 sharing a friendship with a youth.
Youths can share and solve problems with an adult more effectually, than with people their own age.	Agree- 6 Disagree- 9	Agree- 9 Disagree- 2
Is it our fast pace society the reason that anything out of the ordinary is viewed in a negative way?	Yes- 3 No- 12	Yes- 0 No-11
Do you feel as though society would disagree with a friendship between a youth and an adult?	Yes- 14 No- 1	Yes- 11 No- 0
Would you approve of your teen befriending an adult?	Yes- 15 No-0	Yes- 5 No-6
What would you feel if your teen informed you that they had befriended an adult?	Excited-0 Furious-0 Disappointed-1 Neutral- 14	Excited-0 Furious-5 Disappointed-3 Neutral- 3
A friendship between an adult and youth is innocent.	Agree- 11 Disagree- 4	Agree- 9 Disagree-2

Data Analysis –98 percent of the respondents agreed the society would frown upon a friendship between a youth and an adult. As I hypothesized, society would frown upon something that is out of the ordinary Friendship between a youth and an adult is not unusual, just different.

Every adult who answered the survey said they were 100 percent comfortable being friends with a youth. This information stunned me when I first discovered it. I can see why they would be comfortable with it. Youths need someone to talk to. Friends their age cannot always help with their problems. An adult can provide guidance and advice with major problems.

By my surprise the majority who took the survey disagreed that it’s our fast pace society’s fault that anything out of the ordinary is viewed wrongful or vulgar. What is surprising is due to society’s mentally unstable population who has committed wrongful crimes such as rape or molestation. These unfortunate events has shaped the mind of our society and made friendship between a youth and an adult vile.

Conclusion- My conclusion is that my hypothesis was wrong. I thought that the respondents would not be comfortable with ageless friendship. Mainly, because of my personal experience when I befriended an older man. The only person who agreed and approved was my mother and everyone else reacted negatively. I was also proven wrong by that fact that most did not think it was our fast pace society that has made friendship between a youth and an adult vile. I will admit that I am satisfied with the results because people are more mindful and positive when seeing friendship between a youth and an adult.

Follow Up- I want to continue to pursue my topic. I am unsure how. People are comfortable with ageless friendship. What do parents first think when their child informs them of such relations? Positively? Negatively? Do they look up the adult? How do the youths feel when befriending an adult? How do they befriend an adult? Family friend? Siblings? Do youths feel more secure with an adult? Do they feel like talking out issues and sharing information with their adult friends provides more guidance? I have many questions to answer. Each and every answer will shape my blog.