“More Than Noise” Video: 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 800-807-CPYU (2798).

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The Center for Parent/Youth Understanding’s

Youth Culture E-Update

Edition #36: April 30, 2003

EASY way to SUBSCRIBE for FREE!

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Contact eupdate@cpyu.org if you have any questions or experience any problems. 

Contents:

I.  Youth Culture Stats and Trends:

1) Sleep deprived teens

2) Teen gender attitude differences

3) Young driver deaths

4) Drinking moms and alcohol dependent youth

5) Thinness and smoking link

6) Bullying and violence link

7) Blacks and whites television

8) Cheating students

9) Tween spending

10) “Free-(down)-Loading”

11) Sacrilegious free speech

II.  CPYU Resources

III.  Pop Culture Quotes:

IV.  Lyrical Expressions: Madonna and Godsmack

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) Sleep Deprived Teens

Harris Interactive®, as reported by PRNewswire, says sleep deprivation is negatively impacting student school performance and activity involvement, from a survey of 2,308 7^th to 12^th grade students.

http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/04-23-2003/0001932000&EDATE=

2) Teen Gender Attitude Differences

USA Weekend conducted its 16^th annual teen survey back in the fall of 2002. Over 37,000 6^th-12^th grade youth completed the survey. Some of the findings:

• 58% of boys said a girls’ “looks” is the one quality to catch their attention (27% personality and 9% sense of humor), yet 79% of girls said “looks” is the one quality that will catch a boy’s attention (11% personality)
• 81% of boys and 82% of girls would date someone of a different religion

                http://usaweekend.com/03_issues/030420/030420teensurvey.html

                http://usaweekend.com/03_issues/030420/030420survey_answers.html

3) Young Driver Deaths

More young drivers (age 16-20) died in motor vehicle crashes in 2002, rising to 7,722 from 7,598 in 2001, according to preliminary estimates from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. A total of 17,970 persons (42% of the 42,850 total highway deaths) died in alcohol related crashes in 2002 (2,335 had a blood alcohol content level between .01-.07, while 15,635 had a BAC of .08 or higher), up slightly from 17,448 in 2001.

                http://www.nhtsa.gov/nhtsa/announce/press/pressdisplay.cfm?year=2003&filename=pr13-03.html

                http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/pdf/nrd-30/NCSA/Rpts/2003/2002EARelease.pdf  (92 page pdf file)

                See also: Alcohol may up severity of injury in crash victims

                http://reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=healthNews&storyID=2564396

4) Drinking Moms and Alcohol Dependent Youth

Children of mothers who drank 5 or more drinks during pregnancy are more likely to develop alcohol dependence as a young adult, according to the results of a study of 433 pregnant women beginning in 1974. 14% of young adults whose mothers drank 5 or more drinks in one sitting during their pregnancy had drinking problems by age 21, compared to 4.5% for kids who were exposed to less alcohol during pregnancy.

http://www.kaisernetwork.org/daily_reports/rep_repro_recent_reports.cfm?dr_cat=2&show=yes&dr_DateTime=16-Apr-03#17200

5) Thinness and Smoking Link

The journal Tobacco Control, as reported by Reuters, published the results of a study that says teen girls who value thinness are 4 times more likely to start smoking as a teen. Researchers conducted initial and 4-year follow up interviews with 273 Massachusetts teens.

                http://reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=healthNews&storyID=2631637

                See also: Candy cigarettes targeted

                http://www.centredaily.com/mld/centredaily/news/5705570.htm

                See also: Hazardous online tobacco sales

                http://reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=internetNews&storyID=2615067

6) Bullying and Violence Link

Researchers found that bullies and their victims experience an increased risk of further violence-related behavior from a survey of 15,686 U.S. 6^th to 12^th grade public and private school students.

http://www.nichd.nih.gov/new/releases/bullies.cfm  or

                http://archpedi.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/157/4/348  (free abstract, fee for article)

7) Blacks & Whites Television

According to Initiative Media, as reported by Reuters, blacks watched 76.8 hours of TV per week in the fourth quarter of 2002; 23.7 more hours than whites. Multi-ethnic TV casts jumped to 51 in 2002 from 13 in 1995.

                http://reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=televisionNews&storyID=2581247

                See also: “Buffy the Vampire Slayer mocks Christian faith”

                http://www.parentstv.org/PTC/publications/release/2003/0417.asp

                See also: “Study suggests kids’ TV doesn’t displace reading”

                http://www.usatoday.com/usatonline/20030424/5098689s.htm

8) Cheating Students

The April 15, 2003 edition of the Gallup Tuesday Briefing reports the results of a survey of 1,200 13-17 year old teens conducted in early 2003 to gauge the level of cheating at school. 21% of teens said there is a “great deal” of cheating in school, while 46% said there is a “fair amount” of cheating. 48% of students admitted to cheating on a test or exam. Teens who cheated were more likely to smoke cigarettes and drink alcohol (72% and 66%, respectively), as compared to non-cheaters (46% and 41%, respectively).

                http://www.gallup.com/poll/tb/educayouth/20030415b.asp  (fee to access)

                See also: American views on schools

                http://www.publicagenda.org/aboutpa/aboutpa_press_release_detail.cfm?list=52

9) Tween Spending

According to Packaged Facts, as reported by PRNewswire, tweens (8-14 year old youth) control $39 billion in spending and influence much more.

http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/04-24-2003/0001932941&EDATE=

See also: Nickelodeon’s 2003 Kid’s Choice Award winners

http://www.usatoday.com/usatonline/20030414/5066442s.htm

10) “Free-(Down)-Loading”

USA Today reports that colleges are cracking down on copyrighted music and movie downloading

                http://www.usatoday.com/usatonline/20030428/5107765s.htm

                See also: “Is digital piracy killing the entertainment industry?”

                http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1101030505-447204,00.html

                See also: Song swapping lawsuits threatened

                http://www.usatoday.com/usatonline/20030428/5107840s.htm 

11) Sacrilegious Free Speech

The Associated Press reported on April 18, 2003 that Jewish and Christian religious leaders took exception to a PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) billboard that promotes vegetarianism with the words, “Jesus was the prince of peas”.

                http://customwire.ap.org/dynamic/stories/B/BRF_VEGETARIAN_JESUS?

                See also: “Bong Hits 4 Jesus” controversy in Alaska

                http://www.jointogether.org/sa/news/summaries/reader/0,1854,562767,00.html

CPYU Resources:

“More Than Noise” Video by Walt Mueller takes viewers on an informative and practical journey through the confusing maze of today's popular music. (See pricing and ordering instructions at top of e-Update).

“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 Spring 2003 newsletter featuring Justin Timberlake and Christina Aguilera 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), 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/cultquest.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 spent a lot of time with kids, speaking to church groups and to schools, and I just don't think this would be setting a good example.”

- Alabama football player Wesley Britt explaining why he turned down an invitation to Playboy’s All-American team, USA Today, April 22, 2003, 3C.

                http://www.usatoday.com/usatonline/20030422/5090310s.htm

                Read the full interview: http://www.cullmantimes.com/Sports/2003Sports/Sports041803.shtml

“All things equal, I would prefer to have a child in a school that has a strong appreciation for the values of the Christian community.”

                - Secretary of Education Rod Paige, quoted in Time, April 21, 2003, p. 18.

                http://www.time.com/time/verbatim/20030414/7.html

“We as Americans are completely obsessed and wrapped up in a lot of the wrong values—looking good, having cash in the bank, being perceived as rich, famous and successful or just being famous. It's the most superficial part of the American dream and who would know better than me? The only thing that's going to bring you happiness is love and how you treat your fellow man and having compassion for one another”

                - Madonna, quoted by Reuters, April 24, 2003.

                http://reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=entertainmentNews&storyID=2622715

“I don’t think there’s anything wrong with the teachings of Jesus, but I am suspicious of organized religion.”

                - Madonna, quoted by USA Today, April 18, 2003, 12D

                http://www.usatoday.com/life/2003-04-17-madonna-main_x.htm

“I don’t worry about man’s law. No matter what, there’s only one person who was perfect and they killed him. That was Jesus. So, yeah, I’m definitely not on Jesus status.”

- Rapper Marion “Suge” Knight answering whether he is worried about his reputation, Entertainment Weekly, April 25, 2003, p. 14.

“I’m not sure black folks fully understand the power that media has in our life. We are becoming who they portray us as being. We’ve allowed ourselves to become a collection of negative statistics. Simon says dress like a gangster, and we do. I’m amazed by what I see on television or in the movies. I’m saying, either I overslept or someone stole my culture.”

                - Actor Tim Reid (“WKRP in Cincinnati”), quoted by the Associated Press on April 18, 2003

“To be honest, I was just an I-don’t-give-a-f___-type teenager: the self-loathing, the angst, the hatred, the misery. It’s normal. I was hanging out with people who started doing drugs, and I did too.”

                - Lisa Marie Presley, Blender, May 2003, p. 87.

“Part of my melancholy is just the loss of childhood. I can almost remember the day I realized nobody could really take care of me or protect me, that awareness of mortality and being on my own. Nothing's been the same since.”

                - Singer Lucinda Williams quoted by USA Today, April 21, 2003

                http://www.usatoday.com/usatonline/20030421/5087105s.htm

“We have always reminded people that there is a God, that it's just the one God: the God of love. We were more spiritual than religious.”

                - “Touched by an Angel” actress Roma Downey, quoted by the Associated Press, April 23, 2003.

                http://customwire.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AP_ON_TV_ROMA_DOWNEY?

“That’s when I started to investigate the roots of my faith. I had always believed in God, that he existed, and I was brought up to believe in a certain way. But in my middle years, I kind of drifted, and other things took center stage. At that point, I realized I needed something more if I was going to survive. A closer investigation of the Gospels, of the story, of the whole piece, was demanded of me.”

                - Mel Gibson’s quoted about the genesis of his upcoming movie about Jesus.

                http://www.hollywoodjesus.com/passion.htm

Lyrical Expression

Jesus Christ will you look at me, Don't know who I'm supposed to be
Don't really know if I should give a d___, When you're around, I don't know who I am
I'm not myself when you go quiet, I'm not myself alone at night
I'm not myself, don't know who to call, I'm not myself at all . . .
Don't know what I believe
I always wished that I could find someone as beautiful as you
But in the process I forgot that I was special too
I always wished that I could find someone as talented as you
But in the process I forgot that I was just as good as you

                - X-Static Process by Madonna from the American Life album

                http://azlyrics.com/lyrics/madonna/xstaticprocess.html

So make me believe, Just take me away from this hell I've created
And I'm afraid, I'm breaking my own vows knowing I'll go down in flames
I know this can't be right, There's got to be something more that I can live for
And I can only hide inside of this sickness for so long again
Make me believe, Just take me away from temptation that's calling me
And I'm afraid, I'm breaking my own vows knowing I'll go down in flames
Running in circles, Confusion is calling my name, Hiding inside of this poisoning madness again
I'm tired, I'm broken, I'm walking along with the dead, Will I ever feel like I once did?

- Make Me Believe by Godsmack from the Faceless album. The album debuted at #1 on the Billboard charts on April 26, 2003 with sales of 266,000.

Current Culture Image

This Jose Cuervo Tequila ad appeared in the April 11, 2003 issue of Entertainment Weekly, p. 42, the April 17, 2003 issue of Rolling Stone, p. 37, and the April 2003 edition of Blender, p. 51. The ad shows a gentleman dressed in black with a set of horns protruding from his forehead. He is flanked on either side by three adoring, fawning female angels, who are dressed in white and adorned with wings. A trident is propped up against the seat on the right. The tag line reads, “It makes you irresistible*. Vive Cuervo.” The asterisk refers readers down to small print under the tag line, which says, “*Not true. Unless you’re already charming and handsome. Drink responsibly.” This ad could facilitate a conversation about dating discernment as good girls are attracted to charming, but devilish guys. It could also be used to discuss alcohol’s affect on inhibitions and judgment.

Another Cuervo ad, appearing in the October 28, 2002 issue of ESPN, p. 63 and the Dec 26, 2002 - Jan 9, 2003 issue of Rolling Stone, p. 69, shows a close up shot of a dirty blond haired woman looking back over her left shoulder with a devilish smile. The tag line reads, “Bad girls make good company.” Youth leaders could incorporate 1Corinthians 15:33.

Culture Links

National Institute on Media and the Family:
Billed as "fun, thought-provoking, and valuable," this site is all that and more. It includes loads of media literacy information, press releases, research findings, and interactive pages. Particularly helpful are the tools families can use to evaluate their media habits and health. The "Video and Computer Game Report Card" is an excellent source of information.   http://www.mediaandthefamily.org

TrueTunes:
A cutting-edge site both visually and in terms of its information related to the alternative Christian music scene. This online version of TrueTunes magazine is great for kids who love music but have been turned off by the mainstream Christian music scene.   http://www.truetunes.com

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

“Music that educates and encourages our kids to indulge recklessly and selfishly in life’s pleasures leads kids away from God. In this way, it serves to further the message of the kingdom of darkness and point kids away from the kingdom of light.”

                - Walt Mueller quoted from the award winning book, Understanding Today’s Youth Culture, p. 97.

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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, 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.

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