Paper short abstract:

Given that it is taught at public schools, Buddhism has a unique position in Austria. Alongside an analysis of the contribution of meditation apps to Buddhist education, this paper's main research question is how urban, diasporic teenagers respond to Buddhist-inspired environments for contemplation.

Paper long abstract:

In view of the fact that it can be taught at public schools as a compulsory subject for its adherents, Buddhism has a unique position in Austria compared to most other European countries. This paper seeks to demonstrate how meditation apps can contribute to Buddhist education: as their semester project, a group of 10 Buddhist teenagers were asked to use and review different meditation apps. First, the students needed to distinguish (although not necessarily choose) between religious and secular meditation apps, thereby reflecting on the role of meditation for a Buddhist lifestyle. The paper discusses the criteria which were set up by the students in order to evaluate the apps, which also raises questions about the spiritual background of the apps, how Buddhism is represented, and in how far it is instrumentalized. After using the apps regularly, the students presented their results and facilitated guided meditations.

Alongside an analysis of the contribution of apps to Buddhist education, the main research question of this paper is whether the students find meditation apps useful or prefer traditional meditation. How do urban, diasporic teenagers respond to the developers’ efforts to create an attractive, Buddhist-inspired environment for contemplation?