Reflections in the rearview mirror: a day with teens

Reflections in the rearview mirror are often more than the eyes can see and a drive back home after a full day’s work is always a good opportunity to think about how the day went by. The first day of fieldwork was closed satisfactorily. That day’s reflection was about the teenagers that I talked with as part of my project. I hadn’t worked with 13 year olds before then and could not help but ask myself how to empathize with someone who is so much younger than you with starkly different lived experiences. 

What if I was on the other side of the moderation guide? What would I have said to the giant of a person who had called me to talk with me about which apps I use? 

It made me compare my teenage years with theirs. When I was their age, I never questioned who I was or what I was doing. My first interview alone in a room with a grown up was after I was done with college. Yet those children seemed to already have a strong sense of self and clear aspirations. I couldn’t help but feel a twinge of envy and admiration

Just then, my phone rang. It was the field ops team. In a moment of hesitation, I picked up the call and was told that the last participants were stranded because of the sudden rain, unable to find a ride home. Concern for the young girls in my teammate’s voice was palpable. As much as I wanted to get back home and hit the bed, I couldn’t ignore the possibility that the two young kids I had just spoken with were in trouble. I offered to turn back, though it would take time as I was already halfway home, to which my teammate promised to update the children and then me.

I pulled over to the side of the road and waited for the call back. It had already been a long day with quite a few ups and downs. We had planned on conducting dyads, believing the children would feel more comfortable with a friend. But before we could even start, one participant dropped out at the last minute. Though we quickly found a replacement, thanks to our backup list, it was a stressful start.

The day brought more challenges. Some children were easily distracted by the colorful pens and charts we had arranged for a co-creation activity. Keeping their attention was tough, and felt frustrating. However, letting them explore and have fun with the tools eventually invited them to express themselves more freely. In a lab setting, making a young child feel comfortable can be incredibly challenging.

Then came the difficult questions. We needed the participants to share their thoughts and feelings on abstract topics. I feared this part might fail, but our gradual approach, introducing simpler concepts before moving to heavier topics, worked well. Using quick-fire methodology to elicit spontaneous responses proved effective.

My phone rang again, breaking my reverie. The field ops team informed me that the girls had found a ride home. I sighed in relief and resumed my drive. The rest of the way, I pondered how research rarely goes as planned, how reality hits once you’re in the field, and how rewarding it is when everything eventually falls into place.