The Center for Parent/Youth
Understanding’s
Youth
Culture E-Update
Edition
#29:
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Contents:
I. Youth Culture Stats and Trends:
1) 2002 Concert Count
2) Music Sales 2002
3) 2002 Music Theatre Tally
4) Teens and Religion
5) Christian Organization Leadership
6) Caffeinated and Sleep Deprived
7) Teen Visions of the Future
8) Self Image Down, TV Use Up
9) Teen Extreme Dieting and Risky Lifestyles
10)
11) Youth Psychiatric Drug Use
12) Price
Sensitive Teen Smoking
II. CPYU Resources
V. Current Culture Image
VIII. E-update & CPYU information
Youth Culture
Stats and Trends:
1) 2002
Concert Count
Pollstar reports that music concert tours brought in
$2.1 billion in 2002, up from $1.75 billion in 2001. The average ticket price rose 6% (or $2.70)
to $46.56. The Dave Matthews Band sold the most tickets (1.5 million).
http://www.pollstaronline.com/sf-ye2002-biz.asp
http://www.pollstaronline.com/sf-2002-yearendtop100.asp (top 100 concerts of
2002)
See also: Billboard’s year-end touring
analysis
http://www.billboard.com/billboard/yearend/2002/touring.jsp
2) Music
Sales 2002
According to Nielsen SoundScan, as reported by Reuters,
overall music industry album sales figures dropped 8.7% in 2002 to 650 million
units.
http://reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=musicNews&storyID=1988514
See also: Gospel music album sales
remained steady at 49.6 million units in 2002
http://www.gospelmusic.org/news/article.cfm?ArticleID=57
See
also: Steven Curtis Chapman was the
featured artist of the day on Billboard’s website Jan. 14
http://www.billboard.com/billboard/feature/index.jsp
See also: 30th American
Music Award winners
http://abc.abcnews.go.com/primetime/specials/ama/nominees.html
3) 2002
Movie Theatre Tally
According to NielsenEdi, movie theatre revenue was up
14% in 2002 to $9.271 billion from $8.125 billion in 2001.
http://www.nielsenedi.com/bonews/bonewsframes.html
See
also: $20.3 billion spent renting and
buying DVD and VHS home videos
http://www.dvdinformation.com/news/index.html
See also: Downloading
movies
http://usaweekend.com/03_issues/030105/030105innovations.html
See also: Spider Man and Lord of the
Rings tie for top film at the People’s Choice Awards
http://reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=entertainmentNews&storyID=2031551
4) Teens
and Religion
Researchers from the
Ø
Weekly church attendance
dropped from 43% in 8th grade, to 38% in 10th, and to 33%
in 12th grade, while those who attended church “rarely” rose from 27%
in 8th, to 31% in 10th and 36% in 12th
grade.
Ø
Religious affiliation: 24%
Catholic, 23% Baptist, 13% none . . .
Ø
44% of 12th
graders never participated in a church youth group
http://www.youthandreligion.org/publications/docs/JSSR_article.pdf (16 page pdf file
report)
See also: Tattooing for
Jesus
http://reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=oddlyEnoughNews&storyID=2003842
5)
Christian Organization Leadership
Several college campus Christian organizations, as
reported by Time magazine on January 13, are fighting back to reclaim lost
funding because they insist on having Christian leadership, which violates the
schools’ anti-discrimination policies.
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1101030113-404258,00.html
See also: Anglican priest and Elvis
impersonator
http://www.usatoday.com/usatonline/20030107/4756805s.htm
6)
Caffeinated and Sleep Deprived
Researchers who studied the caffeine consumption
patterns of 191,
http://www.usatoday.com/usatonline/20030106/4754130s.htm
http://reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=healthNews&storyID=1999715
http://www.pediatrics.org/cgi/content/abstract/111/1/42 (free abstract, fee for article
access)
7) Teen
Visions of the Future
Teen People reports the results of a survey of 1,000
13-19 year old teens in its February 2003 issue, pp.
122-126:
The
University of Pennsylvania reports that undergraduates who received positive
results from an intelligence test watched less TV (2.46 minutes out of 6
minutes) than those who received negative results (4.03 minutes out of 6).
Positive result students, on average, looked away from the TV screen after 11
seconds, compared to 72 seconds for those receiving negative
results.
http://www.upenn.edu/pennnews/releases/2003/Q1/television.html
See also: Basic cable TV results in
2002
http://reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=entertainmentNews&storyID=1981276
9) Teen
Extreme Dieting and Risky Lifestyles
In
a survey of 4,187 South Carolina high school students, appearing in the Jan/Feb
2003 edition of the American Journal of Health Behavior, as reported by Reuters,
researchers found that extreme dieters—defined as those who fasted, took diet
pills, or purged—were more likely to smoke (cigarettes and marijuana), drink,
and attempt suicide. Overall, 19% of the students were defined as extreme
dieters. Further analysis revealed that 27% of white females, 11% of white
males, 20% of black females and 19% of black males were extreme
dieters.
http://www.ajhb.org/2003/27-1-1.htm (free abstract)
http://reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=1989747
See also: Binge eating linked to suicide
http://www.pediatrics.org/cgi/content/abstract/111/1/67 (free abstract)
See also: Summarizing the current
knowledge base on eating disorders
http://www.pediatrics.org/cgi/content/abstract/111/1/e98 (full article access)
See also: NOVA’s “Dying to be Thin”
web-page.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/thin/program.html#
10)
USA
Today reports on a disturbing trend where violence is filtering down into
elementary schools.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2003-01-12-school-violence-usat_x.htm
11) Youth
Psychiatric Drug Use
The
Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine reports, in a 10 year, 3 site
study of 900,000 youth, that psychiatric drug use rose
http://archpedi.ama-assn.org/issues/current/abs/poa20275.html (free abstract, fee for
article)
See
also: The US Food and Drug
Administration approved use of the anti-depressant Prozac for the estimated 8%
of teens and 2.5% of children who suffer from depression.
http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/ANSWERS/2003/ANS01187.html
12) Price
Sensitive Teen Smoking
The
Center for Disease Control reports in its weekly Morbidity Mortality Weekly
Report that increased prices of cigarettes are cutting into demand, from a 7
year study of middle and high school youth in
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5201a3.htm
See also: “Light”, not safe
smoking
http://reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=healthNews&storyID=1988920
See also: PA town considers teen
smoking ban
http://wire.ap.org/APnews/center_story.html?FRONTID=SCIENCE&STORYID=APIS7OBAIDO0
CPYU
Resources:
NEW MUSIC RESOURCE!!! If you want to know and
influence kids in today's culture, you've got to know and respond to their
music. In the "More Than Noise" video, CPYU's Walt Mueller
takes viewers on an informative and practical journey through the confusing maze
of today's popular music. The video is broken up into 5 parts for classroom use,
and includes a helpful study-guide. Copies are available for a suggested
donation of $15. Order your copy with a credit card by calling CPYU at
717-361-8429.
“How to
use your HEAD to guard your HEART: a 3-D Guide to making responsible
music choices” is a colorful 12 page resource
by CPYU’s Walt Mueller. 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 is 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 Winter
2002 newsletter featuring Good
Website:
Check out the CPYU website (www.cpyu.org),
which 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 available at http://www.cpyu.org/bboard.htm
On-Line
Discussion Group: Sign up for our
youth culture e-mail discussion group (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.
Speakers:
CPYU Speakers are available to speak at your church, school or organization.
Our "Understanding Today's Youth
Culture" seminars are presentations designed for parents, youth workers,
teachers and others dealing with the specific challenges associated with
understanding the world of pre-teens and adolescents. To book a CPYU seminar,
contact CPYU at 717-361-8429 or check out the seminar page on the CPYU website
http://www.cpyu.org/seminars.htm
Pop Culture
Quotes
“I think I’d
be Jesus Christ on his last day, to feel what it’s like to sacrifice your life
for everyone else.”
- Actor Ashton Kutcher answering a question about who he
would trade places with for a day, from the February 2003 issue of Seventeen, p.
85.
“I was
hesitant because of the violence. Eventually, I figured, hey—there’s worse s___
out there, so why not?”
“When I was
doing the lines, I couldn’t believe some of the s___ that was coming outta my
mouth.”
- Actor Ray Liotta, speaking about his role as the voice
of Tommy Vercetti, the main character in the top selling video game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, Electronic
Gaming Monthly, February 2003, p. 40.
See the “Top 40 All Formats Chart” at http://www.gamesasylum.com/
“It had to go
with spending time with my kids and wanting to better myself. As you get older
you’re supposed to get wiser and stronger and smarter, and that’s where I’m at.
When you’re around kids you tend to check yourself, because they’re influenced
by what you’re doing. You don’t want to be a bad influence, not if you’ve been
raised right.”
- Rapper Snoop Dogg explaining why he stopped smoking
pot, Jan/Feb 2003 issue of Blender,
p. 48.
“I can
honestly say I am a Christian, but my spirituality has been developed on the
road and is based on my experiences with God.”
-
Justin Timberlake, Rolling Stone,
“But I don’t
think knowing what you’re worth has to do with money. For me, it’s never been
about the money. It’s amazing and wonderful that I make what I make. It
flabbergasts me. But at the end of the day, I do what I do because I love doing
it.”
-
Actor/singer Jennifer Lopez, CosmoGirl, February 2003, p.
97.
“We are
definitely not using our sex to sell the music. If anything, we’re going more
for a wholesome image. Not wholesome exactly—we don’t walk around in nun
outfits—but I believe you can be sexy without having your a__ hanging
out.”
-
Christie of the Beu Sisters, Blender,
Jan/Feb 2003, p. 69.
“I don’t think
I want to drink the way I used to. In my early twenties, I was actually worse. I
could drink a lot, and I tended to have violent outbursts . . . drinking was
really an extension of becoming isolated from all my other
relationships.”
-
Former Soundgarden singer, Chris Cornell, interviewed while in rehab by Spin, February 2003, p.
83.
“This is a
beautiful-a__ world, if you can deal with humiliation, your pride being f_____
with, disease, death, racism . . . If you can deal with all the bull____ that
comes along with it, man, it’s a beautiful world. And you really don’t have a
choice—you’ve gotta deal with it, so you may as well enjoy it while you’re
here.”
-
Rapper Nas, XXL magazine, Jan/Feb
2003, p. 90.
“A lot Ron’s
anger came from the breakup of the family.”
-
Ron Artest Sr. speaking about his NBA playing son, ESPN magazine, January 20,
2003, p. 62.
“I have
nothing to do with my father. He is out of my life.”
-
Actress Selma Blair, whose parents divorced when she was
23.
http://usaweekend.com/03_issues/030112/030112selma.html
“No matter how
many years ago, that’s something that still affects me every day. If you get
raped, that’s something that’s there forever.”
- Rapper Missy Elliott reflecting back on the rape
committed against her by an older cousin when she was 8 years old, as quoted in
the Jan/Feb 2003 issue of Blender, p.
70.
Lyrical
Expression
[Chorus - 2x (Nas and Kids)]
I know I can (I know I can), Be what I wanna be (be
what I wanna be)
If I work hard at it (If I work hard it), I'll be where I
wanna be (I'll be where I wanna be)
[Nas]
Be,
B-Boys and girls, listen again, This is for grown looking girls who's only
ten
The ones who watch videos and do what they see, As cute as can be, up in
the club with fake ID
Careful, 'fore you meet a man with HIV, You can host
the TV like Oprah Winfrey
Whatever you decide, be careful, some men be
rapists, so act your age,
Don't pretend to be older than you are, give yourself
time to grow, You thinking he can give you wealth, but so
Young boys, you can
use a lot of help, you know you thinkin life's all about smokin weed and
ice
You don't wanna be my age and can't read and right, Begging different
women for a place to sleep at night
Smart boys turn to men and do whatever
they wish, If you believe you can achieve, then say it like
this
-
I Can by Nas from the God’s Son album
http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/nas/ican.html
If
Heaven was a mile away and you could ride by the gates
Would you try to run
inside when it opens would you try to die today?
Would you pray louder
finally believing His power?
Even if you couldn't see, but you could feel
would you still doubt him?
How would you start acting? Would you try to put
the ki's down?
Thinking every drug sell that you make in the streets He can
see now
Would a fiend even want to get high, would he stop smoking?
If he
knew on his own two feet he could just stroll in to get away and escape from the
craziness
And I bet you there's a Heaven for an atheist
-
Heaven by Nas from the God’s Son album
http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/nas/heaven.html
Current
Culture Image
This ad for milk, featuring rap artist Nelly, appeared
in the February 2003 issues of Spin (p. 23), CosmoGirl (p. 8), YM (p. 72),
Seventeen (p. 88), Teen People (pages 37-38), and the Jan/Feb 2003 issue of
Blender (p. 7). The ad shows a bare
chest Nelly with his trademark bandage on his cheek and audacious “#1” chain,
but also some digitally created tattoos on his chest and stomach that pitch
milk. Nelly’s Nellyville was the #2
selling album in 2002 with 4.8 million albums sold. The album features the hit
song “Hot in Herre”, which encourages listeners to take off all your clothes,
among other things. This ad could be used to facilitate a discussion on the
acceptance and popularity of rap and tattoos in popular
culture.
Culture Links
The
“Internet for Christians” web-site, put together by Quentin Schultze, is loaded
with lots of practical resources. Visitors can subscribe to a free e-mail
newsletter and search categorized Christian e-mail
resources.
http://nationaleatingdisorders.org/p.asp?WebPage_ID=337
The
National Eating Disorders web-site is “dedicated to eliminating eating disorders
and body dissatisfaction.”
Walt Mueller’s
“CQ” (Commentary/Quote)
You
see, beyond its power to teach and direct, music also reflects prevalent
attitudes and values which were accepted and at the very least tolerated and
left unchallenged, by the generation of adults that raised those who are writing
and listening to today's music. Perhaps by its years of ignorant silence,
irrelevance, or unwillingness to communicate the need to integrate the faith
into all of life, the church has opened the door for the loud voice of today's
music and media to speak convincingly to our kids. If that's the case, and I
believe it is, then we'd better clean up the inside of our own house before we
start screaming about all the dirt over at the neighbor's
place!
-
Walt Mueller quoted from the Fall 1995 edition of CPYU’s quarterly
newsletter
http://www.cpyu.org/news/95falll.html
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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
“Browser
Discretion Advisory”: CPYU does not
necessarily endorse, support, or condone the organizations/sites for which we've
provided you with links, nor does CPYU necessarily agree with the conclusions
and/or recommendations of studies cited. Some are listed for informational and
research purposes only as they are prevalent in youth culture
today.