The Center for Parent/Youth
Understanding’s
Youth Culture
E-Update
Edition #55:
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Contents:
I. Youth Culture
Stats and Trends:
1) “Sense of Self” and Substance
Use
2) Home Drug
Tests
3) Teen Guys Sexy
Survey
4) Alluring Alcohol Web
Sites
5) Teen Nicotine Patch
Access
6) “Andro”
Warning
7) Top Teen Role
Models
8) Teen Fighting
Predictors
9) Tween/Teen Girl Safety
10) 2003 Music Shipments
11) Modified Language
11) Spim
Rising
II. CPYU
Resources
V. Current Culture
Image
VIII. E-update
& CPYU information
Youth Culture
Stats and Trends:
1)
“Sense of Self” and Substance
Use
Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) in
conjunction with Liberty Mutual Group released the results of the Teens Today 2003 survey, conducted by
RoperASW on 2,753 middle and high school students from 46
http://www.saddonline.com/teenstoday.htm#nationalstudy
2) Home
Drug Tests
USA Today reports on the growing
proliferation of home drug tests used by parents to detect whether their
children are using drugs.
http://www.usatoday.com/usatonline/20040301/5966253s.htm
See also: Drug related deaths in 34
http://www.samhsa.gov/news/newsreleases/acf20d.htm
3) Teen
Guys Sexy Survey
The April 2004 edition of ElleGirl, pp. 100-105, features the
results of a sexy survey of 3,379 15-19 year-old guys. Some of the key
findings:
See also: Virginity pledges
and
http://www.medinstitute.org/media/PledgePR.htm
See also: Brain activity
and male sex drive
http://my.webmd.com/content/article/83/97753.htm
4)
Alluring Alcohol Web Sites
The Center on Alcohol Marketing and
Youth reports that 13.1% (683,588) of multiple page viewing visits to alcohol
Web sites were by underage youth, from analysis of data collected from 55
alcohol Web sites between July and December 2003 by comScore Media Metrix. The
two highest percentage sites for underage youth were bacardi.com (58.6%) and
skyy.com (47.4%). Budlight.com and budweiser.com were the top sites in total
underage visits with 104,590 and 94,217,
respectively.
http://camy.org/press/release.php?ReleaseID=19
See also: College binge
drinking
http://abcnews.go.com/sections/living/Healthology/binge_drinking_healthday_040312.html
See also: Alcohol related Emergency
room visits
http://archinte.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/164/5/531
(free abstract)
5) Teen
Nicotine Patch Access
Researchers report in the March 2004 edition of the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent
Medicine that teens have easy access to nicotine replacement therapy (NRT)
products. In the study of 165
http://archpedi.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/158/3/212
See also: Smoking and blindness
link
http://my.webmd.com/content/article/83/97657.htm
See also: Smoking and PG-13
movies
See also: Kool cigarette flavors
criticized
http://www.jointogether.org/sa/news/summaries/reader/0,1854,569815,00.html
6)
“Andro” Warning
The Department of Health and Human
Services is attempting to stop the sale of products containing the steroid-like
ingredient androstenedione (“andro”) because of health concerns.
http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/news/2004/hhs_031104.html
See also: Steroids and pro
wrestling
http://www.usatoday.com/usatonline/20040312/6000332s.htm
7) Top
Teen Role Models
According to the results of a survey
released by Junior Achievement, 28% of teens said parents are their top role
model (down from 32% last year); 11% said teachers (down from 15% last year).
The worst role models were Michael Jackson (41%), President Bush (22%), Kobe
Bryant (11%), Martha Stewart (6%). . . , Priest or Pastor
(1%).
http://www.ja.org/about/about_newsitem.asp?StoryID=181
8) Teen
Fighting Predictors
Researchers from the
http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/abstract/113/3/530 (free
abstract)
9)
Tween/Teen Girl Safety
A Harris Interactive survey of 2,279
8-17 year-old girls conducted in October 2003 found that tween girls (8-12 years
old) were more worried about emotional safety as compared to teens (13-17 years
old) who were most concerned with physical safety. The top 5 worries of tween girls: 1) Being teased of made fun
of, 2) Being kidnapped, 3) Being called names, 4) Natural disasters, and 5)
Being gossiped about. The top 5 worries of teen girls: 1) Being attacked with a
weapon, 2) Being forced to do something sexual, 3) Getting a disease, 4) Getting
in a car accident, and 5) Being gossiped
about.
http://www.harrisinteractive.com/news/newsletters/k12news/HI_Trends&TudesNews2004_v3_iss03.pdf
10)
2003 Music Shipments
The Recording Industry Association of
America reports the value of music shipments to retail outlets in 2003 was just
over $11 billion (down 4.3% from 2002 and down from the peak of $14.6 billion in
1999).
http://www.riaa.com/news/newsletter/030404.asp
http://www.riaa.com/news/newsletter/pdf/2003yearEnd.pdf
(1 page summary)
See also: “Music sales sing an upbeat
tune again”
http://www.usatoday.com/usatonline/20040303/5972674s.htm
11)
Modified Language
The Global Language Monitor lists its
choice of the top 10 words or phrases from Hollywood: 1) Wardrobe malfunction,
2) Bootylicious, 3) Extreme Makeover, 4) Gigli, 5) “Give it up!”, 6) Governator,
7) Parley, 8) Snap, 9) Smiths, 10)
Understated.
http://www.languagemonitor.com/wst_page19.html
12)
Spim Rising
Spam is spawning off into instant
messenger (IM) services and being labeled spim. According to Ferris Research, as
reported by USA Today, there were 1 billion spim messages in 2003 (up from 250
million in 2002).
http://www.usatoday.com/usatonline/20040301/5966253s.htm
See also: 44% of Internet users have
contributed online content
http://www.pewinternet.org/reports/toc.asp?Report=113
See also: Internet
plagiarism
http://www.csmonitor.com/2004/0302/p12s01-legn.html
CPYU
Resources:
To order
resources from CPYU visit our “
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 just 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.
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
“I told Bow that is he ever wanted to smoke
weed or take a drink, he’s gonna do it with me. I don’t get high, but I’d rather
he come to me than someone on the
street.”
- Teresa Caldwell, mother of
rapper/actor Bow Wow, Vibe, April
2004, p. 141.
“All I was saying was I pray that
they don't. Who wants their kids on drugs? All I was trying to say was that if
it gets to that point, if they're going to do it, I don't want them going out on
the street and getting something illegally that could put them in trouble and
could kill them, because it could be laced with something. All I was talking
about specifically was marijuana. Rather than have them go out on the street and
get some nasty, potentially fatal stuff, I would rather say, 'Look, this is
marijuana. I know where it came from. And if you really need to try it, try it
here in the house and be safe.'”
- Actor Johnny Depp clarifying a comment about his kids
experimenting with drugs, USA Today,
http://www.usatoday.com/usatonline/20040308/5985412s.htm
“When I really got toasted toward the
end of the hard drugs, it made me not want to write. I wasted a lot of time when
I could have been making music.”
-
Singer/songwriter David Crosby as reported by the Associated Press
http://customwire.ap.org/dynamic/stories/P/PEOPLE_DAVID_CROSBY?
“I just kind of stumbled around for
35 years. And then when my daughter arrived, it was like 'Now, I see.' Suddenly
everything else is just kind of shavings, morsels, little
tidbits.”
-
Actor Johnny Depp,
http://www.usatoday.com/usatonline/20040308/5985412s.htm
“It was me being silly, being
rebellious, and not really taking the responsibility of what I was doing, you
know? And after partying, you know, you really don't think about what you're
doing. So it was one of those things that were really
silly.”
-
Britney Spears speaking about her 55 hour marriage, ABCNews.com,
http://abcnews.go.com/sections/GMA/Entertainment/Britney_wedding_E_interview_040312-1.html
“I never regret anything. Every
detail of your life is what made you into who you are in the
end.”
- Actress Drew Barrymore, CosmoGirl, April 2004, p.
123
“I was religious as a teen, active in youth ministry.
But after joining the military in 1992, I fell into a lifestyle that led me off
the track. That changed in
- Staff Sgt. Edward Parker Gyokeres, USA
Weekend, March 14, 2004.
http://usaweekend.com/04_issues/040314/040314militaryfaith.html
“You can make a mistake by saying ‘I
want to be successful’ or ‘I want to make a lot of money.’ That’s the wrong
goal. The right goal is ‘I’ve got something I’m excited about, and I think I can
make a difference in a unique way.”
- Dell computer founder Michael
Dell, CosmoGirl, April 2004, p.
120.
“I now know that it’s better to find
peace than to be right.”
- Actress Julia Roberts, CosmoGirl, April 2004, p.
123.
“Unfortunately, where music has gone these
days, it's really more about sex than it is about intimacy [for a lot of
artists]. It would be nice to see us get back to being in love and being
intimate as opposed to just having
sex.”
-
Singer Babyface, MTV.com,
http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1485491/20040302/babyface.jhtml
“The whole problem with this idea of
obscenity and indecency, and all of these things - bad language and whatever -
it's all caused by one basic thing, and that is: religious superstition. ...
There's an idea that the human body is somehow evil and bad and there are parts
of it that are especially evil and bad, and we should be ashamed. Fear, guilt
and shame are built into the attitude toward sex and the body. ... It's
reflected in these prohibitions and these taboos that we
have.”
- Comedian George Carlin commenting on the recent
crackdown on media indecency, Associated Press,
http://customwire.ap.org/dynamic/stories/G/GEORGE_CARLIN_INDECENCY?
“[High school] can be brutal because
of the cliques and the way kids treat each other. But stick it out—it gets
better. Things that seem like they mean the world at the moment, you’ll look
back on and realize weren’t that
important.”
- Actor Ben Stiller, Teen People, April 2004, p.
70.
“High school is a really different
kind of pressure. I never felt comfortable in my
skin.”
- Actress Lindsay Lohan (Freaky Friday and Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen
movies) comparing Hollywood and high school pressure, CosmoGirl, April 2004, p.
68.
“When you’re thirteen, though, you
don’t care about the long run, you just want to be cool
tomorrow.”
- Singer Toby Lightman, Teen Vogue, April 2004, p.
50.
“When I heard I was getting a script
about a porn star, I expected to hate it. But I think we succeeded in making a
smart teen movie.”
- Actress Elisha Cuthbert (The Girl Next Door movie), Teen Vogue, April 2004, p.
92.
“When I was about ten, it was Paula
Abdul and Mariah Carey. But when I was eleven I took all those posters down and
up went Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Janis Joplin and Nirvana. I started sneaking
over to my friend’s house to watch MTV. That’s how I discovered grunge. My
family moved all the time, and I really related to the lyrics, because I felt
isolated and alone.”
- Evanescence singer Amy Lee answering the question
about what posters were on her wall as a kid, Rolling Stone,
Lyrical
Expression
(Chorus) When
you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears, When you'd scream I'd fight away all
of your fears
I held your hand through all of these years, But you still
have, All of me
You used to captivate me, By your
resonating light, Now I'm bound by the life you left behind
Your face it
haunts, My once pleasant dreams, Your voice it chased away, All the sanity in
me
These wounds won't seem to heal, This pain is just too real, There's just
too much that time cannot erase.
- My
Immortal by Evanescence from the Fallen album. The song is
http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/evanescence/myimmortal.html
Check out the video:
http://www.mtv.com/bands/az/evanescence/audvid.jhtml
Says he wants you, He says he needs
you, It's real talk, then why not make him wait for you
If he really wants
you, If he really needs you, Really got to have you, Take your time and feel him
out
When he's a good boy, I mean a really really good boy
Why not let him
lay with you, That's when you give it to him good. . .
.
-
Dip It Low by Christina Milian. The
video was #4 at Yahoo’s Launch music site on
http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/christinamilian/dipitlow.html
Current
Culture Image
This Verizon Wireless ad appeared on the back cover of the
Another ad (not shown), on a
totally different subject matter, but relevant to the time of year (“March
Madness”), is for the video game NCAA Final Four® 2004, which appeared in the
March 2004 issue of Blender, p. 63.
The ad shows a guy standing near the rim of a basketball hoop with a pair
scissors in one hand and waving the cut down net in the other, with the tag
line, “The stairway to Heaven is only ten feet high.” This ad could facilitate a
discussion about Heaven.
Culture
Link
John
Stott Ministries offers two free daily resources for visitors to subscribe to.
One is a “daily thought” excerpt from the writings of Dr. John Stott (author of
Basic Christianity and The Contemporary Christian) and the
other is a lengthy Bible study.
http://www.gospelcom.net/stott/devotionals.html
Walt Mueller’s
Commentary
A walk through the halls of any junior or senior high
school in the
- Excerpt from Walt’s award
winning book, Understanding Today’s Youth
Culture, p. 212.
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The CPYU “Youth Culture e-Update” is a
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parents, and educators. The Center for Parent/Youth Understanding is a
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