John Fischer’s “Finding God Where You Least Expect Him” Go to our web-site and scroll to the bottom for a description and special bulk rate discount: http://www.cpyu.org/default.asp

New @ www.CPYU.org

“Media & Music Survey”: Walt Mueller delivers on his promise to provide a practical, comprehensive, and downloadable tool to discover how your teens are interacting with music and media.

“Teens to Watch”: This section gives profiles of teen youth culture icons. These are the teens that your teens are watching, so you should be watching and understanding them too. So far we have profiled Hilary Duff, LeBron James, Mandy Moore, and Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen.

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The Center for Parent/Youth Understanding’s

Youth Culture E-Update

Edition #53: February 16, 2004

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Contents:

I. Youth Culture Stats and Trends:

1) Grammy Winners

2) Teen Religion and R-rated Movie Viewing

3) Cohabitation and Marriage

4) Parental Alcohol Problems

5) Sub/Urban Substance Use

6) High School Athlete Tobacco Use

7) Internet Teens

8) Teen Depression

9) Sex-Ed Attitudes

10) Youth Market Power

II. CPYU Resources

III. Pop Culture Quotes: Sheryl Crow, Ice Cube, Simon Fuller, Hilary Duff, etc

IV. Lyrical Expressions: Kanye West and Incubus

V. Current Culture Image

VI. Culture Links:

VII. Walt Mueller’s Commentary

VIII. E-update & CPYU information

Youth Culture Stats and Trends:

1) Grammy Winners

Check out the list of winners from the 46^th Grammy awards. Evanescence wins best new artist. Outkast (feature article in the upcoming Spring 2004 edition of CPYU’s “youthculture @ today” newsletter) wins album of the year.

http://www.grammy.org/

See also: Dove Award nominees

http://www.doveawards.com/

See also: “Pigeon-holed” Christian rockers

http://csmonitor.com/2004/0206/p16s02-almp.html

2) Teen Religion and R-rated Movie Viewing

The National Study of Youth and Religion reports the effects of religious beliefs on R-rated movie consumption from a survey of 3262, 13-17 year old teens. 17% of teens who said their religious faith was “extremely important” to them watched all, or mostly all, R-rated movies, as compared to 48% of teens who said their religious faith was “not important”.

http://www.youthandreligion.org/news/2004-0204.html

See also: Miracles dissected by science

http://abcnews.go.com/sections/SciTech/Living/miracles_science_040212.html

3) Cohabitation and Marriage

Researchers from Ohio State University and the University of Michigan, in analyzing data from the National Survey of Families and Households, estimate that only 40% of cohabitating couples eventually get married.

http://researchnews.osu.edu/archive/cohabit.htm

See also: Moving from cohabitation to marriage: effects on relationship quality

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0049-089X(03)00036-X

See also: Math formula predicts marriage length

http://my.webmd.com/content/article/82/97196.htm?

4) Parental Alcohol Problems

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration released the results of the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, which found that nearly 5 million adults in 2002, who had at least one child under the age of 18, were dependent on, or abusing, alcohol (62% of fathers and 38% of mothers). Those adults reporting past year alcohol dependence or abuse were also more likely to smoke cigarettes (57.9%) and use illicit drugs (35.5%) compared to those who were not dependent on or abusing alcohol (30.6% and 11.0%, respectively).

http://www.samhsa.gov/oas/2k4/ACOA/ACOA.cfm

See also: Drinking drivers and child deaths

http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5304a2.htm

See also: Tests detect drinking

http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=healthNews&storyID=4337523

See also: Alcohol flavored snacks protested

http://www.jointogether.org/sa/news/summaries/reader/0,1854,568934,00.html

See also: College alcohol linked to rape

http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/cas/Documents/rapeintox-pressRelease/

5) Sub/Urban Substance Use

The Manhattan Institute’s Education Research Office compares the reported prevalence rates of substance use and sexual activity among suburban and urban students from National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health survey data. Some of the key findings:

62% of suburban and 54% of urban 12^th graders have smoked cigarettes (37% and 30%, respectively, smoked regularly)
74% of suburban and 71% of urban 12^th graders have drunk alcohol 2 or more times (63% and 58%, respectively, drank alcohol without a family member being present).
22% of suburban and 16% of urban 12^th graders drove drunk
42% of suburban and 45% of urban 12^th graders have used illegal drugs

http://www.manhattan-institute.org/html/ewp_04.htm

6) High School Athlete Tobacco Use

According to the results of a survey of 16,357, 9^th-12^th graders, appearing the in the American Journal of Health Behavior as reported by Join Together Online, researchers found that high school athletes smoked cigarettes less compared to non-athletes (28% and 34%, respectively), but used chewing tobacco and snuff more.

http://www.ajhb.org/2004/1/JanFeb0704Castrucci.pdf and

http://www.jointogether.org/sa/news/summaries/reader/0,1854,568986,00.html

See also: Smoking and reproductive life

http://www.bma.org.uk/ap.nsf/Content/SmokingReproductiveLife

7) Internet Teens

America Online reports the findings of its Teen Wired” survey conducted online on 2,000+ teens and parents.

53% of 13-19 year-old teens go online every day; 73% go online 5+ days per week
84% of teens listen to online music, 82% send e-mail, 72% exchange instant messages, 71% do homework or research for school, and 65% play online games.

http://media.aoltimewarner.com/media/newmedia/cb_press_view.cfm?release_num=55253757

See also: “Internet erosion of TV viewing habits deepens”

http://www.adage.com/news.cms?newsId=39770

See also: Teen girl Internet use

http://www.internet.com/corporate/releases/04.02.05-newjupresearch.html

See also: Broadband access increasing

http://www.internet.com/corporate/releases/04.01.29-newjupresearch.html

See also: Internet and social isolation

http://my.webmd.com/content/article/82/97105.htm?

8) Teen Depression

Canadian researchers, analyzing longitudinal data from 1,322, 12-19 year old youth (648 boys and 674 girls), found that nearly 10% of girls experience a major depressive episode, twice as much as boys.

http://psychologypress.metapress.com/link.asp?id=ly54j5cc7lxm27vj or

http://my.webmd.com/content/article/81/96998.htm

See also: Sleep remedy for teen moodiness

http://my.webmd.com/content/article/82/97079.htm?

9) Sex-Ed Attitudes

The Kaiser Family Foundation reports the results of a survey of 1,759 U.S. adults (1,001 were parents of 7^th - 12^th grade children) conducted in Sep/Oct 2003. Some of the key findings:

7% of Americans say sex education should not be taught in schools
15% of Americans want abstinence-only sex-education in schools
47% of adults think girls should wait until marriage to have sex (44% for boys) yet 89% do not think girls will wait (91% for boys).
81% of Christians say unmarried sex is morally wrong compared with 33% of other Americans

http://www.kff.org/kaiserpolls/pomr012904oth.cfm

See also: 96% of parents favor abstinence education for teenagers according to a nationwide survey of 1,004 parents commissioned by Focus on the Family, as reported by the Family Research Council

http://www.frc.org/get.cfm?i=PR04A08&f=PG03I03

See also: Teen abstinence survey

doi:10.1016/j.jadohealth.2003.05.002

10) Youth Market Power

The February 2004 edition of Harris Interactive’s “Trends & Tudes” explores the market power of youth. The average per-capita spending of 8-21 year-olds is $3,006 ($172 billion total) with guys outspending girls ($3,427 and $2,564, respectively).

http://www.harrisinteractive.com/news/newsletters/k12news/HI_Trends&TudesNews2004_v3_iss02.pdf

CPYU Resources:

To order resources from CPYU visit our “Resource Center” at http://www.cpyu.org/pageview.asp?PageID=8871 or call 800-807-CPYU (2798).

All suggested donations include shipping and handling.

Newsletter: “YouthCulture @ Today” is the Center for Parent/Youth Understanding’s 24-page, ad-free, quarterly newsletter that is full of up-to-date information and in-depth analysis on today’s youth culture. The soon-to-be-released Spring 2004 edition highlights the music and message of Outkast, and much more. “YouthCulture @ Today” is available for a suggested donation of $15 for one year (4 issues). To order your copy go to http://www.cpyu.org/pageview.asp?PageID=7265 or give us a call at 800-807-CPYU (2798).

“How to use your HEAD to guard your HEART: a 3-D Guide to making responsible music choices” This colorful 12 page booklet is one of our most popular resources. The “3-D Guide” walks you through the 3-Ds of “Discover,” “Discern,” and “Decide” as you listen to today’s popular music and media. The “3-D Guide” will help you to “mindfully critique” media and not “mindlessly consume” it. This is a great tool to use in youth meetings as you discuss with your teens how to “think Christianly” and make wise media choices. The suggested donation is $3.00 each for 1-5 copies or $2.00 each for 6 or more copies.

“3-D” Challenge: Have teens write and submit their own “3-D” reviews of songs, videos, movies, television shows, or any other media related material. For formatting examples check out our quarterly newsletter or visit the “3-D” page on our website at: http://www.cpyu.org/pageview.asp?PageID=7278 . All submissions must follow this format, and CPYU reserves the right to use or not use the submissions on our website.

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, go to http://www.cpyu.org/pageview.asp?PageID=7275 and/or contact CPYU at 800-807-CPYU (2798).

Pop Culture Quotes

“Someone with an eating disorder is literally walking around as the living dead.”

- Actress Tracy Gold (TV show “Growing Pains”), Arizona Daily Wildcat, January 29, 2004.

http://wildcat.arizona.edu/papers/97/85/01_4.html

“It’s a chance to get the word out. Someone who is curious about Jesus and has never been saved sees the race and says, ‘Hmmm, I’d like to see what that’s about.’ … Maybe we can change their minds.”

- NASCAR driver Bobby Labonte talking about the hood of his race car which features a promo for Mel Gibson’s new movie, The Passion of the Christ, Associated Press, as reported by USA Today, February 10, 2004, 12C.

“In the Christian market (Jessica) was considered a problem, because she was so voluptuous. People would say, ‘Our girls having self-esteem problems after seeing Jessica sing!’ It was painful for Jessica, because she was so beautiful and she had never done anything wrong in her whole entire life, but here she was getting rejected all the time . . . by me friends.”

“Jessica is sexy in a T-shirt or sexy in a bikini; you really can’t stop her from being sexy, because that’s who she is.”

- Joe Simpson (former Baptist minister and father of singer/reality TV star Jessica Simpson), Blender, March 2004, p. 96.

See also: Jessica Simpson’s revealing pictorial and an excerpt of her cover story feature article

http://www.blender.com/articles/article_665.html (discretion advised)

“I’m a mom of many teenagers, and I’m thrilled there are groups out there like Third Day and MercyMe that my kids absolutely love, and they’re not only getting great music, but they’re getting good stuff for their heart, too.”

- Gospel singer Sandi Patty, Associated Press, February 13, 2004.

“I definitely feel like I’ve lived before . . . I really like the way [Native American Indians] perceive the universe in that you don’t truly own anything and you can’t take anything with you. We’re just passers through. And that God is in all of us and is an energy that holds us together the same that it holds together the molecules in a tree.”

- Singer/songwriter Sheryl Crow, Blender, March 2004, p. 54.

“I've spent a lot of time writing about religion and how it interfaces with science. So there are a few songs that delve into my thoughts on that. And for me, songwriting has always gone hand in hand with my academics.”

- Bad Religion frontman Greg Graffin, Billboard.com, February 12, 2004.

http://www.billboard.com/bb/daily/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=2090330

“If I sacrificed my spirit for the sake of a dollar, I would be slowly destroying myself.”

- Singer/songwriter Alicia Keys, Vibe, March 2004, p. 130.

Money is essential to true happiness in this world. It allows you to live comfortably, without stress. Just the day-to-day worry ... "How we gonna get money?" Here's the thing: When you don't have nothing, you want everything. But when you have what you need, you realize you don't want a whole lot. You could go get it -- that's satisfaction enough.

- Rapper Ice Cube interview, USA Weekend, February 1, 2004

http://usaweekend.com/04_issues/040201/040201ice_cube.html

“I do understand that there were a lot of people that were completely offended by what happened, including my own family. And I think that's probably the part that's frustrating the most for me and it's completely, completely, completely, regrettable.”

- Justin Timberlake’s responding about the Super Bowl incident, ABCNews, February 4, 2004.

http://abcnews.go.com/wire/Entertainment/ap20040204_2416.html

“We support the creative community, but we have to take into account what's in the culture right now and be sensitive about that.”

- MTV spokeswoman Jeannie Kedas speaking about the Janet Jackson Super Bowl incident, Associated Press, February 10, 2004.

http://customwire.ap.org/dynamic/stories/T/TV_JACKSON_FALLOUT?

See also: Billboard.com poll results show 65% think Super Bowl exposure was a publicity stunt.

http://billboard.com/bb/daily/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=2087639

“The now infamous display during the Super Bowl halftime show, which represented a new low in prime-time television, is just the latest example in a growing list of deplorable incidents over the nation’s airwaves.”

- FCC chairman Michael Powell, Associated Press, February 11, 2004.

http://customwire.ap.org/dynamic/stories/I/INDECENT_PROGRAMMING?

“The entire society has changed. There’s no question that everybody understands that what seems to be mainstream today is very different from 10 years ago.”

- Alan Wurtzel, NBC’s head of standards and practices, USA Today, February 5, 2004, 3D.

http://www.usatoday.com/life/television/news/2004-02-04-profanity-inside_x.htm

“The only things 17-year-olds are interested in are getting [drunk] and shagging. What do they care about Pepsi? You want 6-year-olds to identify with Pepsi. And then they’ll carry on drinking it for the rest of their lives. Global branding works like that.”

- Simon Fuller (American Idol TV show creator) reflecting back on his struggles to promote the Spice Girls, Blender, March 2004, p. 90.

“In the morning, I regret getting drunk every night. But every night it seems like a good idea again. We’re stupid. But we’re 22. It’s allowed.”

- Jet bassist Mark Wilson, Blender, March 2004, p. 62.

“Life is gorgeous when you’re on crystal meth.”

- Former drug addict Rufus Wainwright, Blender, March 2004, p. 38.

“The only thing that upsets me is that we might have reinforced certain values of some people in our audience when our own values were actually totally different.”

- Beastie Boys’ Michael Diamond, Blender, March 2004, p. 57.

“I'm mostly just a regular ol' girl who likes to have fun, play her guitar, drink some tequila, hang out with my friends. Exotic beauties and total sexpots get asked to do the cover of Playboy, not girls like me. . . But for me, even as full-tilt as I am, there are just some things I can't quite get comfortable with.”

- Country singer Terri Clark responding to her decision to reject a photo shoot for Playboy magazine, Associated Press, February 11, 2004

http://customwire.ap.org/dynamic/stories/P/PEOPLE_TERRI_CLARK

“If you look at my style, I think it can be considered edgy, cool, and even sexy—it just doesn’t show off my boobs or my butt. I really don’t feel comfortable dressing with a lot skin showing. I do think it’s important for people to see that you don’t have to dress like that to look great.”

- Actress/singer Hilary Duff, CosmoGirl, March 2004, p. 129.

“You have no control over who you fall in love with or who God has written down for you to be in love with. You have no choice.”

“Most of us are not spiritually developed or personally developed to know what good and bad is when we’re young. Kids are faced with so many bad things, like drugs, and their wings aren’t even really developed yet.”

- Rapper/producer Pharrell Williams, CosmoGirl, March 2004, p. 166.

“Every 16-year-old girl in America probably has a boyfriend right now except me, and it’s horrible. I feel kind of left out and unloved.”

- Actress/singer Hilary Duff, CosmoGirl, March 2004, p. 129.

Lyrical Expression

(Jesus walks) God show me the way because the devil try to break me down (Jesus walks with me)

The only thing that I pray is that my feet don’t fail me now (Jesus walks)

And I don’t think there’s nothing I can do to right my wrong (Jesus walk with me)

I wanna talk to God but I’m afraid cause we ain’t spoke in so long (Jesus walks) . . .

We rappers are role models we rap we don’t think, I ain’t here to argue about his facial features

Or here to create atheists into believers, I’m just trying to say the way school need teachers

The way Kathy Lee needed Regis that’s the way I need Jesus.

So here go my single dawg radio needs this. They said you can rap anything except for Jesus

That means guns, sex, lie, videotape, but if I talk about God my record won’t get played.

- Jesus Walks by Kanye West from The College Dropout album.

Hey megalomaniac, You're no Jesus, Yeah, you're no f------ Elvis
Wash your hands clean of yourself baby, And just step down, step down, step down
If I were your appendages, I'd hold open your eyes
So you would see, That all of us are heaven sent
There was never meant to be only one, To be only one

- Megalomaniac by Incubus from the A Crow Left of the Murder album. The song was #1 on Billboard’s Modern Rock Tracks chart, dated February 21, 2004.

http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/incubus/megalomaniac.html

Current Culture Image

This Toyota ad appeared in the January 26 (p. 13) and February 2 (p. 22), 2004 editions of Time. The ad shows the interior of a car with the tag line, “Do unto you as you would have others do unto you.” This tag line is an alteration of the familiar “Golden Rule” Biblical passage (Matthew 7:12 and Luke 6:31). Discussion could focus on materialism and/or the “me-centered” mindset of postmodernism.

Culture Links

The Fischtank website is put together by author/artist John Fischer (CPYU has featured John’s book “Fearless Faith” in the past and “Finding God” now). The site offers lots of pertinent content and commentary on faith and culture issues.

http://fischtank.com/

Ravi Zacharias International Ministries “exists to reach and challenge those who shape the ideas of culture with the credibility of the gospel of Jesus Christ.” This site is an excellent source for credible and insightful material from a Christian pespective.

http://www.gospelcom.net/rzim/

Walt Mueller’s Commentary

Children in America are starving emotionally. When parents don’t take the time to provide their kids with love, intimacy, and affection, they drive them out of the house in search of some morsel of “love” that might satisfy those desires. Sadly, many children and teens think that a few moments of “making love” between the sheets will gratify their hunger when, in effect, they have settled for a piece of rotting garbage that makes them feel better for only a few moments.

- Excerpt from Walt’s award winning book, Understanding Today’s Youth Culture, p. 258.

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The CPYU “Youth Culture e-Update” is a bi-weekly e-mail resource on relevant topics of interest for youth workers, 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.

CPYU grants permission to cite or quote the “CPYU Youth Culture e-Update” electronically or in print as long as the source is cited as “the Center for Parent/Youth Understanding's Youth Culture e-Update - Doug West, ed.”

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