This presentation shares emerging research highlighting the impact of purpose and mindfulness on youth behavior, revealing that risky behaviors including dangerous driving and crashes are significantly lower when young people report higher levels of mindfulness, and have a sense of purpose that centers on service to their community. This suggest that some adolescent risky behaviors could be mitigated with the presence of meaning and purpose in life. Reframing risky behaviors as a symptom of diminished sense of life purpose underscores the need to address more broadly existential dimensions in behavioral science. Reflections on initial experiences of offering these findings in academic settings will also be presented.
