BAYREUTH. Can young people even make decisions for themselves – and make good decisions for themselves? Of course, says Prof. Johannes Siebert, and has a task for the audience: a young person wants to play computer games with his friends on the weekend. The young people call it “gaming”. However, he has not performed the best at school in the past year, and there is a critical math exam just after the gaming weekend. Should parents allow it or not? The listeners clearly say no. What happens in a family? The parents say, if you promise to cram for at least two hours every day until the Zock weekend, then we’ll allow it. But who makes the decision? “The parents,” says Siebert. But there is a way for young people to gain control over the decision themselves. They can suggest that they study until Thursday before the gambling weekend – and then have their parents listen to them. If he has mastered the material, he can take a risk. If not, no gambling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Johannes Siebert works at the Management Center Innsbruck and is a private lecturer at the University of Bayreuth. He advises the Pentagon and is a columnist for Focus magazine. At the University of Bayreuth, he is responsible for the “Klug entscheiden!” research project. He says that making smart decisions can change your life. That’s why he wants to strengthen young people’s decision-making skills. Put simply, if young people can make good decisions, they can also make better decisions in their educational pursuits. This leads to fewer young people dropping out of training, fewer failures, and they become happier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Fewer options desired<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sounds simple and is easier than expected. The project is already being implemented in many schools, and there will soon be two “lighthouse schools” in Kulmbach. Pupils break down complex decisions into small steps. Problem: The kids are “bombarded” with options for action, such as tens of thousands of study options. “But if they don’t have the skills,” warns Siebert, “all the options go nowhere, come to nothing.” The principle is similar to that of online shoe retailer Zalando: the more criteria you specify, the smaller the selection. Until the right shoe comes out……<\/p>\n\n\n\n