Would you like to play a game?
My issue that I wanted to address in my Game for Change was that of cultural expectations and experiences here in Provo, Utah. My experience, as well as the experiences of others I have talked too all seem to be oddly similar. In talking to people you tend to hear the same stories. You hear about the horrors of dating, being cast out because you have not served a mission, and the crushing need to be perfect in a religion that preaches that we cannot be perfect, but should strive to do our best. It seems that in the church we are often taught one things and then in practice that is lost, or members do not reflect that teaching. I know the subject I wanted to tackle has many different veins and variations. In the end I do not think I even came close to reflecting all of the different situations that people struggle with, but I hoped to in a way do it some form of justice.
In "The Danger of a Single Story" I was reflecting a lot of the different perspectives that someone can have if they are just open to another person's point of view. There is so much that we do not know, because we may be in our own world, and not aware of the struggles of someone else. I have so many friends that have struggled with anything from dating to depression, and you would not know it if you just met them. I actually decided to source them and use them in my research into their topic. I held an open discussion in which I asked them what struggles they felt being at BYU or a part of a predominantly Mormon community. Many people come out to BYU expecting it to be Zion, and the best thing ever. Now I am not saying I do not love BYU. I love my school, and love the opportunity I have had at this school. No it is more of the culture that comes with Provo, outside of the classroom, and the educational side. It is the pressure that the students feel, to date, to be the best, and to be the best disciple of Christ. Now we all want that, but also God understands where we are coming from and is there to make up the difference. He does not want us to go through the pain that I find many of my friends and myself going through. We need to change our society in order to change that.
One of the sources I used in my research commented on the rising rate of suicides among Mormon youth (2). I felt that this was a useful resource, because many of these issues that the youth face at BYU are these same problems that lead to depression and suicide. It is thought to be caused by pressure, whether it be in school, a religious setting or so forth. My second source was an article about the Mutual dating app geared towards LDS singles (1). This served a useful resource in that is a huge stressor for those at BYU: finding an eternal companion. These stressors add to the “Provo Experience” and the result of depression, regret and feelings of inadequacy. I hoped to get that feeling across as all of the paths in my game lead to “Quit”. Even when someone has “chosen the right path” they still find themselves struggling. This is not an issue that goes away with marriage, or even moving on from Provo. It is a problem that will not go away until we address the issues, and take the steps needed to create a more helpful environment within our community. We as Saints need to be more loving, more open to everyone's situation, looking out for one another, and most of all, not beating ourselves up when we do not reach perfection. It is a toxic mindset that will only lead to our unhappiness, and make even a wonderful situation a struggle.
(1). http://www.cnn.com/2017/09/20/living/mormon-dating-app/index.html
(2). https://www.huffingtonpost.com/benjamin-knoll/is-the-recent-rise-in-uta_b_10798286.html
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