Axis Conversations

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...

"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...

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 cr...

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...

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 2...

"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 contro...

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 hal...

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 doll...

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, homes...

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 Bie...

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 Dou...

"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 mater...

  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-...

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...

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...

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 o...

Season 5 of Stranger Things is already Netflix's biggest English-language release, 2025 Black Friday shopping cost more but yielded less, and making sense of expensive Christmas wish lists for Gen Z and Gen Alpha.   Song of the Week - "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" by Brenda Lee   In Other News... Oxford named "rage bait" as its word of the year and the internet immediately proved their point...

Happy Thanksgiving from everyone here at Axis!  As part of our yearly tradition, instead of our normal issue of the Culture Translator, here are 15 conversation starters to help you make the most of time around the table with family and friends this year. Enjoy!   What's something you're really excited about right now?  What's the funniest trend or meme you've come across lately?  If you could per...

"Could you speak to the subject of gossip? As we raise 2 girls this is something my husband and I talk about often. How can we explain the difference between venting and gossip? When does sharing about your day at school cross the line into gossip? How can we teach the idea of being loyal to the absent in the way we speak about others? When friends are gossiping, how can our kids redirect the conv...

Three Big Conversations: Celebrities are making  cigarette smoking cool for a new generation - 9:50 Wicked 2 is poised to blow the box office back to Kansas - 26:54 This year's runaway bestseller is the Bible. - 37:28 Slang of the Week: "Cracked" - 1:10 In Other News: - 51:04 The United States House of Representatives and Senate  almost unanimously  agreed to pass the Epstein Files Transparency Ac...

Celebrities are making cigarette smoking cool for a new generation, Wicked 2 is poised to blow the box office back to Kansas, and this year's runaway bestseller is the Bible. Slang of the Week: "Cracked" In Other News: The United States House of Representatives and Senate almost unanimously agreed to pass the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which now awaits President Trump's signature. A new study...

This interview is with Sarah and Truman Wells, a mom and son who walked through a time of suicidal ideation together, and are now sharing their story together for the first time to help shed light on the real mental health issues that teens and parents are facing.  Axis Resources: Parent Guide to Suicide & Self-Harm Prevention How To Talk About Mental Health With Your Teen A Parent's Guide to Teen...

Three Big Conversations: The limited edition Bearista cup fosters true insanity. - 06:34  Article in Vogue suggests that "having a boyfriend is embarrassing,".  - 15:04 The rising popularity of Contemporary Christian Music. - 35:50 Slang of the Week - "Twin" - 01:38 In Other News: - 57:18 The GRAMMY nominations were  announced last week, with Gen Z and Alpha notables like sombr and KATSEYE being n...

The limited edition Bearista cup fosters true insanity, an article in Vogue suggests that "having a boyfriend is embarrassing," and the rising popularity of Contemporary Christian Music. Slang of the Week - "Twin" In Other News: The GRAMMY nominations were  announced last week, with Gen Z and Alpha notables like sombr and KATSEYE being nominated for Best New Artist. MrBeast is launching a " Beast...

"I need some help! My son is struggling to make friends at his new school and is running to video games. It's hard to get him to share and open up. He's not eating a lot, I think he might be depressed. What should I do?" - Justin Dr. Mayfield is a former pastor, award-winning author, speaker, certified master Christian coach, mental health counselor, and Assistant Professor of Clinical Mental Heal...