How can you use the word "among"?

@Andrew Van Wagner posted:

I was wondering about the ambiguity regarding "among" below...is it OK to use "among" in this way given that it SOUNDS like I'm talking about the understanding of the "young people"?

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no thought or discussion is possible—this is perhaps understandable among young people whose understanding of the world is restricted to shrieks in social-media bubbles and on Twitter

Hi, Andrew—I don't see the ambiguity you mention because the text says "whose understanding of the world," so it's clear reference is being made to the young people's understanding of the world, not to our understanding of the young people, if that is where the alleged ambiguity lay.

@Andrew Van Wagner posted:

no thought or discussion is possible—this is perhaps understandable among young people whose understanding of the world is restricted to shrieks in social-media bubbles and on Twitter

Hi, Andrew and Gustavo—I'm guessing that the ambiguity you are perceiving, Andrew, has to do with these two interpretations:

1) That no thought or discussion is possible is understandable to young people.

2) That no thought or discussion is possible is understandable with regard to young people.

Since you say it "SOUNDS like" you're talking about "the understanding of the young people," I can tell that you do not intend interpretation (1); thus, I will not recommend changing "understandable among" to "understandable to."

I believe that the meaning you intend is (2), so I recommend changing "understandable among young people" to "understandable with regard to" or "understandable as concerns."

If you wish to keep "among," I think you should NOT place it after "understandable," since it yields a third interpretation: 3) adults can understand that no thought or discussion is possible when they're around young people.

You could keep "among" if you revised the sentence so that it says "no thought or discussion is possible among young people, whose understanding [etc.]"; however, then you wouldn't be reporting the thought your friend expressed.

Thanks for responding! Just to clarify the idea is that REGARDING young people (whose understanding is limited in this way) it is the CASE that no "thought or discussion is possible".

I found it ambiguous because it seems to offer the interpretation that these young people (whose understanding is limited in this way) UNDERSTAND that no "thought or discussion is possible".

I'm not sure what to replace "among" with...maybe "regarding" or "in the case of"?

"In the case of" seems to me like a very good choice.

Thanks! I'll do that!