ym360 Trends and Culture Update (Vol 8)

]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 . . . Facebook Edition

• Is there a link between girls who struggle with eating disorders and the amount of time they spend on Facebook? Maybe so, says a new study.
• The high school student suspended for calling his teacher a "fat a_ _" on Facebook has caught the attention of the ACLU. Interesting convergence of youth culture and constitutional rights.
• New Jersey Student gets in trouble with police for using Facebook to threaten other students.

A Glance At Recent Research

• We tweeted about the study last week that found that college freshmen are more stressed out than ever. Brad Griffin over at Fuller Youth Institute wrote a great, short take on how this applies to youth workers. Worth your time.
• A third of the people killed as a result of car wrecks involving teenage drivers aren't in the teenagers' cars, according to a national study conducted by medical and insurance researchers.
• We tweeted about this study yesterday, but it's interesting enough that we didn't want anyone to miss it: "A new study, though, found that videogames can have benefits for teen girls—as long as they play with their parents."
• A really fascinating article that is worth reading and passing along to your students' parents. The article deals with recent research by the Johns Hopkins' Bloomberg School of Public health. Basically, the study found that shockingly, MOST US adolescents are growing up healthy and "normal," despite what we may hear on TV and the Internet. Interesting stuff.

The World of Youth-Culture & Entertainment

• You can probably thank Twilight for kicking it all off, but get ready for the plethora of new, horror-based TV shows sweeping the networks. AMC, SyFY, and The Hub are just the latest networks to have horror fare high in the list of new offerings.
• Microsoft announces it sold 8 Million XBox Kinects in two months. Wow.
• As you probably heard by now, MTV is standing by its explicitly profane show "Skins," despite an "exit of advertisers, a 50 percent slump in audience its and calls for a government pornography probe."
• Parents Television Council commends sponsors who have dropped out of participation in MTV's "Skins."
• Two lesbian students allowed to walk as a couple in the a school dance "royalty court." Interesting insight, as this is from a teen-centered news and gossip site.
• The Billboard Hot 100 remains pretty much the same at the top: Bruno Mars has the number 1 single, while Katy Perry, And Wiz Khalifa round out the top 3. Enrique Iglesias and Rihanna finish out the top 5. Billboard's site lets you easily listen to each of these songs. Give it a try . . . I would imagine a large number of your students are listening to these songs. Not a bad idea to know what they are listening to.

Just For Fun!

• This has been making the rounds . . . It is like a time capsule. Kind of hard to believe . . . (Oh, and is it just me or does Bryant Gumble come off as a, um, "not so nice" guy?)

That's it for this edition of the ym360 Trends & Culture report. Look for another one the week of February 14th.

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