Axis Conversations

Three Big Conversations: Nostalgia for 2016 hits social media. - 8:54 Some hopeful, if complicated, mental health statistics about college students. - 24:40 Teens would rather send a voice note than make a phone call. - 38:08 Slang of the Week - Ragebait - 1:48 In Other News: - 54:22 The Indiana Hoosiers won an electrifying College Football Playoff National Championship on Monday, punctuated by an iconic, fourth-down touchdown run from Heisman winner Fernando Mendoza. BookTok's beloved People We Meet on Vacation, an Emily Henry book-to-movie adaptation, has debuted at No.1 on the Netflix film chart with 17.2m views. A new trend on TikTok involves impersonating owls. "Bringing random items to school" is a TikTok trend where kids pull increasingly unhinged objects out of their backpacks purely for laughs. The tremendous success of a stationery store in Chicago is being hailed as indicative of the "return to analog" trend, as the popularity of journals, calligraphy, and sending snail mail letters surges. Become a monthly donor today, join the Table. Check out the podcast now on our YouTube Channel! Get your question on Ask Axis! Send in your questions to ask@axis.org. For more Axis resources, go to axis.org.

Nostalgia for 2016 hits social media, some hopeful, if complicated, mental health statistics about college students, and teens would rather send a voice note than make a phone call. Slang of the Week - Ragebait In Other News: The Indiana Hoosiers won an electrifying College Football Playoff National Championship on Monday, punctuated by an iconic, fourth-down touchdown run from Heisman winner Fernando Mendoza. BookTok's beloved People We Meet on Vacation, an Emily Henry book-to-movie adaptation, has debuted at No.1 on the Netflix film chart with 17.2m views. A new trend on TikTok involves impersonating owls. "Bringing random items to school" is a TikTok trend where kids pull increasingly unhinged objects out of their backpacks purely for laughs. The tremendous success of a stationery store in Chicago is being hailed as indicative of the "return to analog" trend, as the popularity of journals, calligraphy, and sending snail mail letters surges. Become a monthly donor today, join the Table. Check out the podcast now on our YouTube Channel! Get your question on Ask Axis! Send in your questions to ask@axis.org. For more Axis resources, go to axis.org.

A question on "camp skits not aging well." Libby asks, "We generally have just substituted current pop culture references into old skits to bring them up to date. But it's so necessary right now to help kids engage with culture instead of vilifying it. A recent skit we were planning made it seem like the student was nailing Jesus to the cross by going to a party, hanging out with friends instead of staying home with Jesus—and we want our kids to socialize with real people more! But we are also finding way more extreme drug and alcohol content at parties for the kids who do socialize IRL. How to navigate?" - Libby This podcast is entirely Q&A based! Send in your questions to ask@axis.org. Check out the podcast now on our YouTube Channel! Become a monthly donor today, join the Table. And for more resources, go to axis.org.  

Three Big Conversations: Gen Z heads to trade school en masse - 05:14 The controversy around Grok's creation of deepfake images - 21:26 Fiber is the new protein - 42:00 Slang of the Week: "Choppelganger" - 20:20 --> Check out the definition in our resource The Parent Guide to Teen Slang In Other News: - 55:06 Harry Styles just dropped a mysterious website called WeBelongTogether.co filled with crowd footage and the words "We belong together," and fans are losing their minds trying to decode what it means. The year in anime is kicking off with a bang, with new episodes of popular on-going shows like Jujutsu Keisen, Freiren: Beyond Journey's End, Fire Force, and premieres of highly anticipated newcomers like Sentenced to Be a Hero. The Golden Globes awards declared KPop Demon Hunters 2025's best animated film, and Gen Z favorite Timothée Chalamet won best actor for his turn in Marty Supreme. Survey data from Talker Research found that 63% of Gen Z now intentionally carves out screen-free windows in their days, a higher percentage than any other generation. Popular comedian and influencer Druski has been bouncing around the internet this week because of his skit poking fun at (or perhaps critiquing) the over-the-top production and performative pastors of some mega-churches. Become a monthly donor today, join the Table. Check out the podcast now on our YouTube Channel! Click to check out The Pour Over Get your question on Ask Axis! Send in your questions to ask@axis.org. For more Axis resources, go to axis.org.

Gen Z heads to trade school en masse, fiber is the new protein, and the controversy around Grok's creation of deepfake images. Slang of the Week: "Choppelganger" --> Check out the defenition in our resource The Parent Guide to Teen Slang In Other News: Harry Styles just dropped a mysterious website called WeBelongTogether.co filled with crowd footage and the words "We belong together," and fans are losing their minds trying to decode what it means. The year in anime is kicking off with a bang, with new episodes of popular on-going shows like Jujutsu Keisen, Freiren: Beyond Journey's End, Fire Force, and premieres of highly anticipated newcomers like Sentenced to Be a Hero. The Golden Globes awards declared KPop Demon Hunters 2025's best animated film, and Gen Z favorite Timothée Chalamet won best actor for his turn in Marty Supreme. Survey data from Talker Research found that 63% of Gen Z now intentionally carves out screen-free windows in their days, a higher percentage than any other generation. Popular comedian and influencer Druski has been bouncing around the internet this week because of his skit poking fun at (or perhaps critiquing) the over-the-top production and performative pastors of some mega-churches. Become a monthly donor today, join the Table. Check out the podcast now on our YouTube Channel! Click to check out The Pour Over Get your question on Ask Axis! Send in your questions to ask@axis.org. For more Axis resources, go to axis.org.

"I recently had a conversation with my teen son about how words he (and everyone else) uses regularly were not considered ok when I was growing up. Can you speak to how language has changed and what is and isn't acceptable? I generally go back to the Bible saying not to use coarse or filthy language (Ephesians and Colossians) when redirecting him but when everyone is using it maybe it's not how I view it anymore? We also discussed how much more we're exposed, essentially desensitizing us. When you're looking at reels or shorts you can't tell if it's coming. I think I said something along the lines of, "My phone is always swearing at me!" My family says I'm sensitive but it just bothers me where we are now. Why can't we just use appropriate language? And is there a good way to handle this?" - Christal Click Here --> A Parent's Guide to Profanity This podcast is entirely Q&A based! Send in your questions to ask@axis.org. Become a monthly donor today, join the Table. And for more resources, go to axis.org.

Three Big Conversations: Stranger Things star Joe Keery's synthpop song tops the charts - 12:55 Sushi is the new pizza for Gen Alpha - 22:46 the Great Meme Reset that wasn't.- 31:18 Slang of the Week: "Flow State"- 5:16 In Other News: - 39:06 Mr. Beast's competition show Beast Games is back on Amazon Prime this week. The twist this time? Brains versus brawn. Will Mr. Beast commit more war crimes? Tune in to find out. The French parliament has proposed a bill that, if passed, would ban social media access for everyone under age fifteen, and ban phones from all schools. TikTok's New Year trend is punch cards for resolutions, making goals feel tangible and within reach. Now that they're all back from South Korea's mandatory military service, the K-pop band BTS has officially announced their fifth album, which is set to be released on March 20th. Videos saying "Your sign to not bring your boyfriend with you to watch The Housemaid" are drawing attention to an explicit scene with Sydney Sweeney and the male lead, Brandon Sklenar. Become a monthly donor today, join the Table. Get your question on Ask Axis! Send in your questions to ask@axis.org. For more Axis resources, go to axis.org.

Stranger Things star Joe Keery's synthpop song tops the charts, sushi is the new pizza for Gen Alpha, and the Great Meme Reset that wasn't. Slang of the Week: "Flow State" In Other News: Mr. Beast's competition show Beast Games is back on Amazon Prime this week. The twist this time? Brains versus brawn. Will Mr. Beast commit more war crimes? Tune in to find out. The French parliament has proposed a bill that, if passed, would ban social media access for everyone under age fifteen, and ban phones from all schools. TikTok's New Year trend is punch cards for resolutions, making goals feel tangible and within reach. Now that they're all back from South Korea's mandatory military service, the K-pop band BTS has officially announced their fifth album, which is set to be released on March 20th. Videos saying "Your sign to not bring your boyfriend with you to watch The Housemaid" are drawing attention to an explicit scene with Sydney Sweeney and the male lead, Brandon Sklenar. Become a monthly donor today, join the Table. Get your question on Ask Axis! Send in your questions to ask@axis.org. For more Axis resources, go to axis.org.

We're ready to dive into 2026 and continue supporting you in ways that matter to you and the teens in your life. As you step into the new year and start thinking about your goals for your family and how to build deeper connections with the next generation, we've put together 5 conversation starters you can use to jump-start moments of depth and honesty. CT of the top 20 (Short and sweet) --> The 20 Biggest Cultural Events of 2025, PART 1: Top 20-11 --> The 20 Biggest Cultural Events of 2025, PART 2: Top 10 Roundtable of the top 20 (Here how we picked our favorites) --> The 20 Biggest Cultural Events of 2025, PART 1: Top 20-11 --> The 20 Biggest Cultural Events of 2025, PART 2: Top 10 Become a monthly donor today, join the Table. Get your question on Ask Axis! Send in your questions to ask@axis.org. For more Axis resources, go to axis.org.

"I have two grandchildren, both teenagers, who have had smartphones since before they were 12. I am concerned by some of the behaviors you described in your Smartphone September podcasts. When I pick them up from school, their eyes are glued to their phones as soon as they get in the car and they get annoyed when I ask them questions about their day. Since we are not the parents, we have no control or even influence regarding their cellphone use. Yet we love them and are worried about what they are accessing on their phones. Any thoughts or suggestions?" - John Axis Resource --> An Experience on Everything Smartphone Podcast Episode --> What do we do about smartphones?!?! Click here --> for the Everything Smartphone Guide on Amazon   This podcast is entirely Q&A based! Send in your questions to ask@axis.org. Double your impact with End of Year Giving! Every dollar you give will be mathched dollar for dollar until the end of 2025! And for more resources, go to axis.org.  

At the end of every year, we take a few weeks to reset and reflect on everything that happened in culture over the past twelve months. We share our reflections with you in the form of our Top 20 Annual Countdown. This week, the Top 10! After much deliberation (heard in the Roundtable Episode) here is the list of the Top 10! 10. AI video slop (Sora, VEO3, Vibes) 9. Kendrick Lamar's Super Bowl halftime show 8. The American Pope 7. Taylor Swift's engagement 6. Man's Best Friend by Sabrina Carpenter 5. Stranger Things season 5 4. A Minecraft Movie 3. 6-7 2. Videos of the assassination of Charlie Kirk on social media 1. KPop Demon Hunters   Double your impact with End of Year Giving! Every dollar you give will be mathched dollar for dollar until the end of 2025! Get your question on Ask Axis! Send in your questions to ask@axis.org. For more Axis resources, go to axis.org.

At the end of every year, we take a few weeks to reset and reflect on everything that happened in culture over the past twelve months. We share our reflections with you in the form of our Top 20 Annual Countdown. This week, the Top 10! Listen as Evan, CJ, and Irene make their case for the top spot! Double your impact with End of Year Giving! Every dollar you give will be mathched dollar for dollar until the end of 2025! Get your question on Ask Axis! Send in your questions to ask@axis.org. For more Axis resources, go to axis.org.

Mike and Becky McNamee are the founders of Legacy of Faith, an organization dedicated to hosting retreats for grandparents who seek to leave a lasting spiritual legacy for future generations. Before founding Legacy of Faith, Mike served with the Navigators as General Manager of the Glen Eyrie Conference Center in Colorado Springs. Becky has devoted her life to being a loving wife, homemaker, homeschool mom, and proud Grammy. Together, they are blessed with three married children and six wonderful grandchildren.   ---> Learn mor about Legacy of Faith ---> See upcoming retreat dates Double your impact with End of Year Giving! Every dollar you give will be mathched dollar for dollar until the end of 2025! Get your question on Ask Axis! Send in your questions to ask@axis.org. For more Axis resources, go to axis.org.

At the end of every year, we take a few weeks to reset and reflect on everything that happened in culture over the past twelve months. We share our reflections with you in the form of our Top 20 Annual Countdown. This week, you'll receive 20-11; next week, you'll get the top ten. After much deliberation (heard in the Roundtable Episode) here is the list of the Top 20-11! 20. Hailey and Justin Bieber drama 19. The LA Dodgers and Shohei Ohtani winning the World Series 18. The rise of smartphone bans in schools 17. Forrest Frank breaking his back 16. The fall of Sydney Sweeney 15. Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Infinity Castle 14. Labubu Dolls 13. Adolescence 12. The Coldplay concert cheating scandal 11. Season three of The Summer I Turned Pretty   --> Check out our Conversation Kit on Miracles Double your impact with End of Year Giving! Every dollar you give will be mathched dollar for dollar until the end of 2025! Get your question on Ask Axis! Send in your questions to ask@axis.org. For more Axis resources, go to axis.org.

At the end of every year, we take a few weeks to reset and reflect on everything that happened in culture over the past twelve months. We share our reflections with you in the form of our Top 20 Annual Countdown. This week, you'll receive 20-11; next week, you'll get the top ten. Listen as Evan, CJ, and Irene discuss their top picks! Moving 10 up and moving 10 down - 0:41 Ranking 20-11 - 27:55 Double your impact with End of Year Giving! Every dollar you give will be mathched dollar for dollar until the end of 2025! Get your question on Ask Axis! Send in your questions to ask@axis.org. For more Axis resources, go to axis.org.    

"Our oldest is a 14 year old boy so we're still newbies to parenting teens. Our 8th grader teen seems, in mom and dad's opinion, overly concerned with materialism (things like shoes and iphone model etc). We've heard that this is pretty typical for middle school boys; do teen boys tend to become less materialistic after middle school/once they're in high school? We try to talk with him about materialism not being a healthy priority but it doesn't seem to be sinking in yet." -  Sarah Scientific Paper --> Growing up in a Material World: Age Differences in Materialism Scientific Paper --> Effects of Materialism on Adolescents' Book Reference --> The Emotional Lives of Teenagers by Dr. Lisa Damour Axis Resource --> A Parent's Guide to Teen Identity   This podcast is entirely Q&A based! Send in your questions to ask@axis.org. Double your impact with End of Year Giving! Every dollar you give will be mathched dollar for dollar until the end of 2025! And for more resources, go to axis.org.  

 Three Big Conversations: TikTok's most-used sound in 2025 was a 63-year-old love song - 8:40  Netflix and Paramount are in a bidding war for Warner Bros. - 22:38 Hollywood might be having a "God moment." - 35:52 Song of the Week: "Santa Tell Me" - by Ariana Grande - 1:02 Click here for the lyrics. In Other News: - 52:20 Taylor Swift will officially conclude her Eras era today, releasing a six-episode docuseries about her record-setting tour as well as "Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour | The Final Show," both streaming on Disney+. The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York took several big steps toward resolving 1,300 sex abuse claims against clergy. Australia's blanket ban of social media for all users under 16 took effect on Wednesday. Pop-folk artist Noah Kahan is dropping hints about his next album, and considering the popularity of his 2022 release Stick Season, it could be one of the biggest releases of 2026. Pantone named "Cloud Dancer"—a shade of natural white—as its color for 2026, stating that the shade represents "a calming influence in a frenetic society." Double your impact with End of Year Giving! Every dollar you give will be mathched dollar for dollar until the end of 2025! Get your question on Ask Axis! Send in your questions to ask@axis.org. For more Axis resources, go to axis.org.

TikTok's most-used sound in 2025 was a 63-year-old love song, Netflix and Paramount are in a bidding war for Warner Bros., and Hollywood might be having a "God moment."  Song of the Week: "Santa Tell Me" - by Ariana Grande Click here for the lyrics. In Other News: Taylor Swift will officially conclude her Eras era today, releasing a six-episode docuseries about her record-setting tour as well as "Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour | The Final Show," both streaming on Disney+. The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York took several big steps toward resolving 1,300 sex abuse claims against clergy. Australia's blanket ban of social media for all users under 16 took effect on Wednesday. Pop-folk artist Noah Kahan is dropping hints about his next album, and considering the popularity of his 2022 release Stick Season, it could be one of the biggest releases of 2026. Pantone named "Cloud Dancer"—a shade of natural white—as its color for 2026, stating that the shade represents "a calming influence in a frenetic society." Double your impact with End of Year Giving! Every dollar you give will be mathched dollar for dollar until the end of 2025! Get your question on Ask Axis! Send in your questions to ask@axis.org. For more Axis resources, go to axis.org.  

Justin Whitmel Earley is the creator of The Common Rule, a program of habits designed to form us in the love of God and neighbor. He is also a mergers and acquisitions lawyer in Richmond, Virginia. Justin and his wife, Lauren, have four sons.  Click here for The Common Rule Youth Edition: Growing Your Faith in a Distracted World. Become a monthly donor today, join the Table. Get your question on Ask Axis! Send in your questions to ask@axis.org. Click to join our Advent for the Record Listening Experience! For more Axis resources, go to axis.org.    

Three Big Conversations: Season 5 of Stranger Things is already Netflix's biggest English-language release. - 09:08 2025 Black Friday shopping cost more but yielded less. - 29:30 Making sense of expensive Christmas wish lists for Gen Z and Gen Alpha. - 29:30 Song of the Week - "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" by Brenda Lee - 1:10 In Other News... 53:52 Oxford named "rage bait" as its word of the year and the internet immediately proved their point by fighting about it. It's officially "Wrapped" season as Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, Twitch, and many others put nice packaging on all the user-data they gathered this year. Sabrina Carpenter and the White House have beef. On Monday, the White House social media team posted a video of ICE agents making arrests with Carpenter's song, "Juno" playing in the background. Carpenter responded with disgust. Do you know the band Geese? Some are calling them "Gen Z's Nirvana" and the generation's "first great rock band." On TikTok, the word "genuinely" (language) has now become a comically overused way to emphasize anything and everything. Click to join our Advent for the Record Listening Experience! Become a monthly donor today, join the Table. Get your question on Ask Axis! Send in your questions to ask@axis.org. For more Axis resources, go to axis.org.