The Center for Parent/Youth Understanding’s

Today’s Youth Culture E-Update

Edition #16: June 30, 2002

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Contents:

I. Youth Culture Stats and Trends:

1) TV Not Reflecting Nation

2) Nagging Pays Off

3) “Generation Junk Food Junkies”

4) Online Gambling and Teens

5) Radio Waves

6) Explicit Entertainment Targeting Teens

7) Global Music Piracy

8) Video Game Industry Growth

9) School Commuting Dangers

10) Driving Fatalities

11) Teen Drinking Survey

12) Teen Substance Abuse

13) Recreational Drug Web Sites

14) “Gateway Drug” Progression

II. CPYU Resources

III. Pop Culture Quotes: J. Lo, Eminem, Kirsten Dunst, Ashley Judd, Avril Lavigne, and more

IV. Lyrical Expressions: Andrew WK, Papa Roach, R. Kelly, and Avril Lavigne.

V. Current Culture Image

VI. Culture Links

VII. Walt Mueller’s “CQ” (Commentary/Quote)

VIII. E-update & CPYU information

===============================================================

Youth Culture Stats and Trends:

1) TV Not Reflecting Nation

The Parents Television Council, as reported by the Associated Press, compared census data with television portrayals of all 119 prime-time shows during the 2001-2002 season, and discovered a distorted image of reality in American households.

§ 47% of fictional TV families are headed by married parents compared to 72% of real families

§ 14% of TV families are headed by single dads compared with 6% of real families (27% and 22%, respectively, for single mothers)

http://www.parentstv.org/Main/publications/release/2002/pr061202.asp

See also: Racial diversity and TV

http://www.ucla.edu/Templates/NewsItem2.html

2) Nagging Pays Off

The Center for a New American Dream released the results of a nationwide poll of 750, 12-17 year old youth, about attitudes and actions regarding “nagging”. Some of the key findings:

o Teens will ask parents 9 times, until they finally give in, for products they’ve seen advertised

o 55% say nagging is successful in getting what they want

o 10% of 12-13 year olds admit to pestering parents more than 50 times for products they’ve seen advertised.

o 32% felt pressure to buy certain items because friends had them (54% for 12-13 year-olds)

o 53% reported feeling better about themselves after purchasing certain products (62% for 12-13 year-olds)

http://www.newdream.org/campaign/kids/press-release2002.html

3) “Generation Junk Food Junkies”

Dietary supplement seller Metabolife conducted a survey about family eating habits and found that 65% of parents say their children are “junk-food junkies” compared to only 7% who eat a nutritionally balanced diet. 84% of respondents said television was a negative influence on children’s eating habits.

http://www.metabolife.com/about/generationJ.htm

See also: Fast Food Served in Hospitals

http://jama.ama-assn.org/issues/current/fpdf/jlt0612.pdf (see pages 4 and 5 of 5 page pdf file)

http://www.reuters.com/news_article.jhtml?type=healthnews&StoryID=1077491

(Editor’s note: What about fast food in schools? Survey your local community.)

See also: “From Wallet to Waistline: The Hidden Costs of Super Sizing”

http://www.cspinet.org/new/200206181.html (press release)

http://www.cspinet.org/new/pdf/final_price_study.pdf (14 page pdf file report)

See also: Snacking patterns in Canadian families. Families with children under 12 snack an average of 13 times per week (top snack is fruit at 14%) compared to 11 times per week for families with teenagers (top snacks were potato chips and fruit at 10% each).

http://www.npd.com/corp/content/news/releases/press_020610a.htm

4) Online Gambling and Teens

The Federal Trade Commission issued an alert regarding the easy access to illegal, destructive, and potentially addictive online gambling sites by teens.

http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/alerts/olgamble.htm

5) Radio Waves

Radio research firm Arbitron reports in its study, “RADAR 73 Radio Usage Report”, that radio retained the top medium position in 2001. Other key findings:

§ 81% listen between 6 to 10 AM

§ 98% of 12-17 year olds listen to radio and 96% of 18-24 year olds

§ 83% listen to radio in the car and 69% at home

http://www.arbitron.com/newsroom/archive/06_18_02.htm

http://www.arbitron.com/downloads/radiotoday01.pdf (43 page pdf file)

See also: Top 25 webcast channels for May 2002:

http://www.arbitron.com/newsroom/archive/06_11_02.htm

6) Explicit Entertainment Targeting Teens

The Federal Trade Commission released a follow-up report to its September 2000 review of marketing practices of the entertainment industry. The FTC examined advertisement placement and content along with retail packaging to report the following conclusions:

· Movies continue to advertise R-rated movie in popular teen TV shows.

· Music industry continues to advertise explicit music in popular print magazines and TV shows.

· M-rated video games were occasionally advertised on popular teen TV shows and youth-oriented gaming magazines.

http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2002/06/mvec0602rev.htm (press release)

http://www.ftc.gov/reports/violence/mvecrpt0206.pdf (2.75MB, 62 page pdf report)

7) Global Music Piracy

The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry released a global study detailing the impact of music piracy. Key figures and trends:

Ø 2 out of every 5 (1.9 billion) recordings sold worldwide in 2001 is an illegal copy

Ø 950 million pirated music discs were sold in 2001, up 50% from 2000

Ø Global market for pirated music is estimated at $4.3 billion.

http://www.ifpi.org/site-content/press/20020611.html (press release)

http://www.ifpi.org/site-content/library/piracy2002.pdf (12 page pdf file)

See also: Nielsen SoundScan released mid-year 2002 music sales figures—as reported by USA Today on July 1, 2002, D1—showing a 9.7% drop in sales to 299 million compared to 331 million in 2001.

http://www.usatoday.com/usatonline/20020701/4237450s.htm

8) Video Game Industry Growth

First quarter 2002 sales for the U.S. video game industry were recently released by NPDFunworld. Total sales were up 20% to $1.9 billion compared with the same period in 2001.

http://www.npd.com/corp/content/news/releases/press_020520.htm

http://www.npd.com/corp/content/ie/in_videogames.htm (scroll down to view the April 2002 top 10 games. 4 games were “M” or mature rated for 17+ years old, 1 “T” or teen rated for 13+ years old, and 5 “E” or everyone rated)

See also: Informa Media Group projects, as reported by Reuters, global video game industry sales to reach $31 billion in 2002, up 12% from 2001.

http://www.reuters.com/news_article.jhtml?type=technologynews&StoryID=1125502

9) School Commuting Dangers

The National Research Council’s Transportation Research Board released a study of the injury and fatality rates of teenage students during normal school travel hours—defined as 6-9am and 2-5pm during the weekday between September 1 and mid June. Teen drivers in a passenger vehicle during normal school travel hours accounted for 448 (55%) of the 815 annual fatalities and 78,200 (51%) of the 152,250 injuries.

http://www4.nationalacademies.org/news.nsf/isbn/0309077036?OpenDocument (Press release)

http://www.nap.edu/html/SR269/SR269.pdf (181 page pdf file)

See also: Early School Start Time and Teen Auto Accidents

http://www.apss.org/PDF/release_teens.pdf (2 page pdf file)

10) Driving Fatalities

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) released preliminary estimates of 2001 highway traffic fatalities. Some key findings:

§ 40% of highway deaths were alcohol-related, accounting for 16,652 deaths.

§ 7,547 young drivers (age 16-20) were involved in fatal crashes in 2001

http://nhtsa.gov/nhtsa/announce/press/pressdisplay.cfm?year=2002&filename=pr31-02.html

See also: “The economic impact of motor vehicle crashes 2000”

http://nhtsa.gov/people/economic/EconImpact2000/alcohol_costs.htm

11) Teen Drinking Survey

The June 11, 2002 Gallup Tuesday Briefing reveals trends and attitudes regarding teen alcohol consumption from interviews with 501 teenagers (ages 13-17) conducted in May 2001.

o 21% admit to drinking alcohol

o 10% say they drink more than they should

o 54% say it’s fairly easy to get alcoholic beverages

http://www.gallup.com/poll/tb/educaYouth/20020611.asp (fee to access)

· 36% of people surveyed in July 2001 said drinking was a cause of trouble in the family; trending up from 12% in 1972.

· 62% drink alcohol, while 38% are total abstainers.

12) Teen Substance Abuse

The June 2002 issue of the Archives of Pediatric Adolescent Medicine reports, in a study of 538 Boston area teens conducted between March 1999 and September 2000, that more than half used alcohol or drugs during the past year with 27% experiencing serious problems, while 16% were diagnosed as substance abusers or substance dependent.

http://www.slp3d2.com/rwj_1027/webcast/docs/press.html (press release)

http://www.slp3d2.com/rwj_1027/webcast/report.pdf (8 page pdf file)

13) Recreational Drug Web Sites

The Internet provides availability and access to much information, some of it beneficial and some detrimental. The June 2002 edition of Pediatrics warns about the rise of “unedited and nonrefereed information about recreational drugs”.

http://www.pediatrics.org/cgi/content/full/109/6/e96 (free full article access)

14) “Gateway Drug” Progression

Researchers from Johns Hopkins University, as reported by Reuters, conducted annual surveys of 44,624, 12-25 year old residents from 1991 to 1994 and found that “exposure opportunity” is to blame for the progression from “soft” drugs (i.e., marijuana) to “hard” drugs (i.e., cocaine and heroin). Parents are urged to reduce the opportunity by guiding their children toward positive peer groups, like church groups.

http://www.reuters.com/news_article.jhtml?type=healthnews&StoryID=1053900

CPYU Resources:

NEW MUSIC RESOURCE from CPYU’s Walt Mueller: A colorful 12 page resource titled, “How to use your HEAD to guard your HEART: a 3-D Guide to making responsible music choices”. Prices, including shipping and handling, are $3 each for 1-5 copies and $2 each for 6+ copies. To order, contact CPYU at 717-361-8429 (voice), 717-361-8964 (fax), or e-mail cpyuinfo@cpyu.org

Newsletter: “youthculture@today” is the Center for Parent/Youth Understanding’s quarterly 24-page newsletter that’s full of up-to-date information and in-depth analysis on today’s youth culture. Order now and we’ll send you a copy of our recently released Summer 2002 newsletter featuring Pink, “cutting”, the Osbournes, and much more. Available for a donation of $15 a year, you can sign up by either calling CPYU on the phone (717-361-8429), or by using the downloadable order form found on our website at http://www.cpyu.org/ycorder.htm and faxing it to CPYU at 717-361-8964.

Website: Check out the CPYU website (www.cpyu.org). The site is loaded with all kinds of current information and analysis on today’s youth culture. You’ll find a searchable database of back issues of “youthculture @ today” an extensive bibliography, culture facts, a youth culture bulletin board, links to dozens of valuable youth culture oriented websites, a listing of CPYU resources, and much more. The site is constantly changing so be sure to visit often. A searchable “e-Update” archive is also available at http://www.cpyu.org/bboard.htm

On-Line Discussion Group: Sign up for our youth culture e-mail discussion group at www.cpyu.org/bboard.htm With one e-mail, you will be able to share questions, comments, and answers with youthworkers, parents and educators from around the world.

Pop Culture Quotes

“Getting high or getting drunk off you’re a__ was not the cool thing to do (in high school). I just saw how it can become your life—it was a clear thing to me. And I’m lucky, I guess, that I saw it that way. And I was right! I was right! There’s a lot more stuff out there in the world. It’s like I saw it as a distraction for people—a distraction from success. I had other plans.”

- Jennifer Lopez quoted from the June/July 2002 edition of Cosmo Girl, p. 39.

“If somebody is smoking a joint in a movie, I say it's a cigarette—a big cigarette if it's a Cheech and Chong movie.”

- EMINEM on going to the theater with his daughter, Rolling Stone daily e-mail, June 12, 2002.

“Guys and girls can’t really be friends. They’re always thinking—and you’re thinking—what would it be like to be with them? I want to be like those Hollywood guys who are considered cool, dark and mysterious and get all the girls. If I was a man, I’d be such a player. Girls are never like that, really. Then you’re considered a slut.”

- Actress Kirsten Dunst, May 23, 2002 issue of Rolling Stone, p. 66.

“At the end of the day, the Lord knows I have no malice in my heart. But I've got tattoos, and I still fornicate.”

- N.E.R.D.'s Pharrell Williams on his Baptist upbringing, Rolling Stone daily e-mail, June 11, 2002.

“Relentless work and marriage are mutually exclusive endeavors. There’s no way, at least if you want to have any genuine intimacy in your married life.”

- Actress Ashley Judd, June 2002 issue of Vogue, p. 194.

“My parents are Christian, so I spent a lot of time singing gospel in church as a little kid . . . My parents were pretty strict, and when I was younger we fought a lot. But now that I have to make rules and set curfews, I appreciate it because it because I still use their rules to take better care of myself.”

- 17 year old Singer/songwriter Avril Lavigne whose debut album “Let Go”, Summer 2002 issue of ElleGirl, p. 112

“(Heathen) possibly sounds like a conversation between two people, which it kind of is—except that the other person is life or God, if there is such a higher intelligence.”

- David Bowie speaking about his new album Heathen, USA Today, June 11, 2002, D10.

http://www.usatoday.com/life/music/2002/2002-06-11-david-bowie.htm

“The worst part of modeling shoots is the kissing . . . You don’t have to stick your tongue in the boy’s mouth or anything, but still . . . You don’t know the person, and you don’t know who their lips touched last!”

- 17 year old model Megan Ewing (a.k.a. “the Guess? girl”), summer 2002 issue of ElleGirl, p. 73

Lyrical Expression

When it's time to party we will party hard
You, you work all night (all night), And when you work you don't feel all right
And we, We can't stop feeling all right (all right), And everything is all right
'Cos we will never listen to your rules (no), We will never do what others do (no)
Do what we want and we get it from you, Do what we like and we like what we do
So let's get a party going (let's get a party going)

- “Party Hard” from Andrew WK’s “I Get Wet” album (full name, Andrew Wilkes-Krier, who bashed himself on the nose for the blood flowing picture on his debut album. The album was taped over with black tape in album stores in my area, but not on Amazon.com)

http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/andrewwk/partyhard.html

Fed-up, Tired, Sick and twisted, One-man army, I'm enlisted
Trust yourself trust no one else, F___ a hero be yourself
I don't need your lousy hand-out, Clinched fists I'll fight my way out
Fighting my way out, Find my way out, People wake up and sing along
I trust no one, My trust is gone . . .

Searching and finding the truth inside myself, Inside myself
My soul was starving, I was born with nothing, I'll die with everything

- “Born with nothing, die with everything” by Papa Roach from their 2^nd album “LoveHateTragedy”.

(Editor’s note: perhaps you’ve seen the many print and TV ads touting the US Army’s “Army of One”.)

Heaven, I need a hug, Is there anybody out there willin' to embrace a thug
Feelin' like a change of heart, And all I really need is a sign or a word from God
So shower down on me (Shower down on me now), wet me with your love
I need you to take me (Please) and lift me up, yeah, yeah (Said I'm callin' on heaven)

- “Heaven, I need a hug” by R. Kelly

http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/rkelly/heavenineedahug.html

I like you the way you are when we're drivin' in your car and you're talking to me one on one

But you've become somebody else round everyone else, You're watching your back like you can't relax
You're tryin' to be cool you look like a fool to me
Tell me why you have to go and make things so complicated?
I see the way you're acting like you're somebody else gets me frustrated,

Life's like this, you fall and you crawl and you break and you take what you get and you turn it into honesty
Promise me I'm never gonna find ya fake it

- “Complicated” by Avril Lavigne from her “Let Go” debut album. #3 TRL video for week ending June 28, 2002 and #11 hit on Billboard’s Hot 100 Chart, dated July 6, 2002

Current Culture Image

This Miller Lite ad, which shows a bottle of Miller Lite immersed in water, comes with one of two different slogans, depending on magazine placement and timing. The first is “Liquid Fun” (Spin, June 2002, p. 37; Blender, June/July 2002, p. 65) and the other is “Nectar of the Guys” (Spin, July 2002, p. 43; Rolling Stone, June 20, 2002, back cover; Sports Illustrated, June 3, 2002, p. 16). Discussion could center on what defines “fun”, but also negative male stereotypes.

See also the Miller Lite guys beer club ad (not shown here) from Entertainment Weekly, June 28/July 5, 2002, p. 15. The cartoon ad shows 8 guys sitting around a Miller Lite campfire with the headline, “It’s like a book club. Only with beer instead of books.” A small banner reads, “Pontificate over your favorite beer.”

Culture Links

Entertainment Tonight’s web-site has lots of relevant information on the entertainment industry.

http://www.etonline.com/music/index.htm

According to the web-site creators, “MomsAndDads.com is a site dedicated to helping parents raise kids in this crazy world. We gathered links to the best parenting resources on the web.”

http://www.momsanddads.com/

The National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign put together this interactive and informative site

http://www.freevibe.com/

In their own words, “Youth University is a monthly e-mail newsletter with news, views and inside scoops about today’s kids, tweens and teens.”

http://www.youthuniversity.com/

Links to these and many other sites can be found at CPYU’s web-site: http://www.cpyu.org/links.htm

Walt Mueller’s “CQ” (Commentary/Quote)

“But substance abuse is not a problem limited to the teenage population. Teenagers have grown up in a world filled with attractive substance-use messages. Others have experienced the harsh reality and ugliness of the costly toll of substance abuse. When the laughter and fun of our neighborhood picnic ended, a few of my old friends went home to houses that were filled with the pain and nastiness of alcoholism. Some kids today are too scared to turn out the light or close their eyes at night for fear of what might happen when their father comes home drunk.”

-From Walt Mueller’s award winning book, “Understanding Today’s Youth Culture”, p. 298.

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The CPYU “Today’s Youth Culture E-Update” is a bi-weekly e-mail resource on relevant topics of interest for youthworkers, parents, and educators. The Center for Parent/Youth Understanding is a non-profit organization providing information and analysis on today’s rapidly changing youth culture. To contact us, write to Eupdate@cpyu.org or PO Box 414 Elizabethtown, PA 17022, or call 717-361-8429, or fax 717-361-8964.

“Browser Discretion Advisory”: CPYU does not necessarily endorse, support, or condone the organizations/sites for which we've provided you with links. Some are listed for informational and research purposes only as they are prevalent in youth culture today.

www.cpyu.org