ym360 Trends and Culture Update (Vol 7)

At ym360, we're committed to equipping youth workers. While most of our energy is dedicated to doing this in the areas of Bible Study Resources and Training, we believe it's valuable for youth workers and parents to stay in the loop on what is happening in youth culture and culture in general. (Read why we think it's important here.) A couple times a month, we'll do a post like this one, where we link to relevant articles and studies that give you a better glimpse into the world teenagers are living in. We'd love to know that we're not just equipping you, but those you serve, as well. Consider using this article to equip your community in the following ways:

• Email this link to your adult volunteers
• Repost it on your blog or church website
• Email the link to all your parents to help equip them to better understand their teen's world

Without further ado, here are some relevant links we think you should know about.

Some Social Media News

• Mashable tells us about a new group messaging service that could be a fast riser in the tech world. This, obviously, could be a new option for messaging multiple students at a time. Keep an eye on it.
• Facebook announced yesterday that a record-breaking 750 million photos were uploaded to Facebook over New Year's weekend. That's simply staggering. So much of our lives are now online.

A Glance At Recent Research

• More than 25% of US Teenagers take prescription pills on a regular basis. Fascinating Wall Street Journal article, especially since most of these drugs have never been fully tested on teenagers.
• An in-depth Pew Research Center report on the generational difference in how we interact online. The study found, among other things, that Milliennials remain more likely to access the internet wirelessly with a laptop or mobile phone. (Plus, they still surpass older generations when it comes to many communication- and entertainment-related activities, such as using social network sites and playing games online.)
• According to a Pew Research Center study, the Internet is now the main national and international news source for people ages 18 to 29.
• We referenced this in a tweet last week, but worth repeating. Study shows that more teenagers are now smoking pot that cigarettes.
• More than 10% of U.S. teenagers who said they practice abstinence tested positive for sexually transmitted disease in a recent study.

The World of Youth-Culture & Entertainment

• Disney done with the fairy tale/princess genre. (This line in the story killed me, but, struck me as pretty true based on observing some of my 7 year old daughter's classmates: "According to Dafna Lemish, chairwoman of the radio and TV department at Southern Illinois University, girls are getting over fairy tale romances at a very young age. "By the time they're 5 or 6, they're not interested in being princesses," she said. "They're interested in being hot, in being cool. Clearly, they see this is what society values.")
• The number of Gay & Lesbian teenage characters on shows aimed at teenagers is on the rise. This LA Times article notes 7 prominent shows aimed at teens (including Glee and 90210) that have major characters who are both teenagers and gay.
• In the Strange-bu-True column, Selena Gomez is getting death threats tweeted to her because she is reportedly in a relationship with Justin Bieber. [Sigh . . . ]
• Billboard's Hot 100 for the week finds Bruno Mars on top with "Grenade," followed by "Firework" by Katy Perry, "We R Who We R" by Ke$ha, and "What's My Name?" by Rhianna.
• Last weekend "Little Fockers" barely edged out "True Grit" for the winner of the weekend box-office draw. "Tron Legacy" was in 3rd followed by "Yogi Bear" and "Narnia: Dawn Treader."

That's it for this edition of the ym360 Trends & Culture report. Look for another one the week of December 27.

WANT MORE TRENDS AND CULTURE UPDATES? (AND FREE STUFF?) Then sign up for the ym360 Newsletter. We'll give you a FREE Bible Study Lesson on Matthew 11 (w/ PowerPoint included) when you sign up. PLUS, you'll stay up to date on other free stuff, as well as new content, resource releases, and the newest trends and culture updates. CLICK HERE to sign up!

Any specific study or link stand out to you? Disagree with anything? Let us know by sharing your thoughts below.