The Culture Translator

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 Act, which now awaits President Trump's signature. A new study from Gallup found that in 2025, 40% of 15- to 44-year-old women would leave the U.S. permanently if given the opportunity (a slight decrease from 44% in 2024). The Game Awards has announced its nominations for 2025, with the turn-based role-playing game Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 receiving 12 total nominations, more than any other game. Gaming company Valve has announced that it will release its own console, the "Steam Machine," which many expect to become a significant challenger to Xbox and PlayStation. The man who jumped the rope to embrace Ariana Grande at the Wicked: For Good movie premiere was sentenced to nine days in prison. Click to join the Pour Over's Newsletter We'd love to hear from you, fill out this form to share your Axis story. 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.

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 from Gallup found that in 2025, 40% of 15- to 44-year-old women would leave the U.S. permanently if given the opportunity (a slight decrease from 44% in 2024). The Game Awards has announced its nominations for 2025, with the turn-based role-playing game Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 receiving 12 total nominations, more than any other game. Gaming company Valve has announced that it will release its own console, the "Steam Machine," which many expect to become a significant challenger to Xbox and PlayStation. The man who jumped the rope to embrace Ariana Grande at the Wicked: For Good movie premiere was sentenced to nine days in prison.   Click to join the Pour Over's Newsletter We'd love to hear from you, fill out this form to share your Axis story. 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.

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 Emotion   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.    

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 nominated for Best New Artist. MrBeast is launching a "Beast Land" theme park (in Saudi Arabia). The GOAT of League of Legends, Faker, led his team to their third consecutive World Championship win. The portion of actress Sydney Sweeney's interview with GQ where she was asked to apologize for her American Eagle ad has been turned into a meme format. Dictionary.com has announced its "Word of the Year," and we regret to inform you that it is "67." Click here to see Savannah Bananas - Your Way's Better Dance Click here for our Conversation Kit on Miracles. 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.

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 Land" theme park (in Saudi Arabia). The GOAT of League of Legends, Faker, led his team to their third consecutive World Championship win. The portion of actress Sydney Sweeney's interview with GQ where she was asked to apologize for her American Eagle ad has been turned into a meme format. Dictionary.com has announced its "Word of the Year," and we regret to inform you that it is "67." Click here to see Savannah Bananas - Your Way's Better Dance Click here for our Conversation Kit on Miracles. 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 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 Health Counseling at Colorado Christian University. To see more of Dr. Mayfield's resources click here. To check out Dr. Mayfield's click here. And for more resources, go to axis.org.  

Three Big Conversations: Tech company 1X debuts a $20,000 robot to help with chores around the house. - 18:30 Changes in SNAP eligibility requirements will impact minors. - 39:17 Teens say luxury is a feeling, not a price tag.- 48:24 Song of the Week - "Dracula" - Tame Impala - 1:20 Elsewhere in culture: - 58:16 The video game Arc Raiders had a  very successful launch, signaling a growing preference in gaming for the "extraction shooter."Spotify is being sued for using bots to artificially increase streaming numbers, with rapper Drake being named as an artist who benefited. Popular and problematic AI chatbot site character.ai ended the ability for teens to chat with bots, a restriction that is likely to be ineffective, based on… all of internet history. Popular publication Teen Vogue is being absorbed into Vogue, but Axis will continue to help you understand teen culture, fear not! The LA Dodgers won the World Series this week as viewership for America's pastime surged back after weaker numbers in previous years. 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.  

Tech company 1X debuts a $20,000 robot to help with chores around the house, changes in SNAP eligibility requirements will impact minors, and teens say luxury is a feeling, not a price tag. Song of the Week - "Dracula" - Tame Impala Elsewhere in culture: The video game Arc Raiders had a very successful launch, signaling a growing preference in gaming for the "extraction shooter."Spotify is being sued for using bots to artificially increase streaming numbers, with rapper Drake being named as an artist who benefited. Popular and problematic AI chatbot site character.ai ended the ability for teens to chat with bots, a restriction that is likely to be ineffective, based on… all of internet history. Popular publication Teen Vogue is being absorbed into Vogue, but Axis will continue to help you understand teen culture, fear not! The LA Dodgers won the World Series this week as viewership for America's pastime surged back after weaker numbers in previous years. 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.

The Big Conversation: It is Mental Health November and we're releasing a whole suite of content aimed to helping parents and caring adults enter into conversations about mental health with wisdom for the next generation. Look in this feed for many more episodes with resources regarding this topic!  Click here for A Parents Guide to Anxiety Click here for Dr. Preston Sprinkle & Laurie Krieg on Helping Kids Navigate a Sexually Broken Culture 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.

Three Big Conversations: The new Frankenstein movie hits theaters. -  Deep-dive into the pornography-obsessed subculture known as "gooning,". - Why high-potency marijuana use is landing some users in the ER. -  Song of the Week - "The Fate of Ophelia" - Taylor Swift - Click here for the lyrics. -  Elsewhere in Culture: -  For the first time since 1990, there are no rap songs on the Billboard Top 40—marking the end of a 35-year streak. K-pop sensation BTS will end their three-year hiatus next year, embarking on a tour and releasing new music. A high school teacher went viral with a post on TikTok that showed the extreme way students reacted to his instruction to write a five-sentence paragraph.The as-yet-unidentified jewelry robbers who pulled off a heist at the Louvre were the topic of this week's social media fascination. YouTube is adding more content restrictions to better protect minors from encountering two types of content: online gambling and video games that depict graphic violence.  Check out our Ask Axis episode "How do I talk to my adult son about porn and screen addiction?" Check out Fight the New Drug for teens. Check out Pure Desire for adults. Become a monthly donor today, join the Table. For more Axis resources, go to axis.org.  

The new Frankenstein movie hits theaters, a deep-dive into the pornography-obsessed subculture known as "gooning," and why high-potency marijuana use is landing some users in the ER. Song of the Week - "The Fate of Ophelia" - Taylor Swift Click here for the lyrics. Elsewhere in Culture: For the first time since 1990, there are no rap songs on the Billboard Top 40—marking the end of a 35-year streak. K-pop sensation BTS will end their three-year hiatus next year, embarking on a tour and releasing new music. A high school teacher went viral with a post on TikTok that showed the extreme way students reacted to his instruction to write a five-sentence paragraph.The as-yet-unidentified jewelry robbers who pulled off a heist at the Louvre were the topic of this week's social media fascination. YouTube is adding more content restrictions to better protect minors from encountering two types of content: online gambling and video games that depict graphic violence. Check out our Ask Axis episode "How do I talk to my adult son about porn and screen addiction?" Check out Fight the New Drug for teens. Check out Pure Desire for adults. Become a monthly donor today, join the Table. For more Axis resources, go to axis.org.

"My daughter was given a deck of tarot cards. She says that they are simply self refelction tools but there is a lot of information that says they are a dangerous form of divination. Can you elaborate on this and other popular practices that seem like witchcraft?" Click here for the book - The Gift of Being Yourself Click here for the Parents Guide to Hearding From God 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: Why TikTokers are talking about being in “Group 7”. - 9:00 A decrease in the number of young people self-identifying as trans and nonbinary. - 17:30 What it means that over half of the internet's articles are now written by AI. - 33:20 Resource of the Week -  Conversation Kit on Miracles - 02:18 Elsewhere in culture: - 52:54 Colleen Hoover, the #BookTok author of It Ends With Us, has another movie adaptation coming out this week called Regretting You. Twitch streamer Emiru was forcefully grabbed by a large man at TwitchCon, and has sworn off future participation in their conference because of how Twitch handled it. The massive power outage at AWS (Amazon Web Services), impacting the functionality of apps, banks, and alarm clocks (just to name a few), is sparking new conversations about the potential dangers of tech monopoly. MrBeast reportedly filed a trademark application for “MrBeast Financial,” leading many to suspect that Jimmy Donaldson's newest stunt might be starting his own bank. A trending meme uses a drawing of the White Rabbit (from Alice in Wonderland) pointing at a clock to joke about how much time people do (or don't) have left. Click here for the Interview Dr. Jean Twenge on 10 Rules for Raising Kids in a High-Tech World 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.

Why TikTokers are talking about being in “Group 7,” a decrease in the number of young people self-identifying as trans and nonbinary, and what it means that over half of the internet's articles are now written by AI. Resource of the Week -  Conversation Kit on Miracles Elsewhere in culture: Colleen Hoover, the #BookTok author of It Ends With Us, has another movie adaptation coming out this week called Regretting You. Twitch streamer Emiru was forcefully grabbed by a large man at TwitchCon, and has sworn off future participation in their conference because of how Twitch handled it. The massive power outage at AWS (Amazon Web Services), impacting the functionality of apps, banks, and alarm clocks (just to name a few), is sparking new conversations about the potential dangers of tech monopoly. MrBeast reportedly filed a trademark application for “MrBeast Financial,” leading many to suspect that Jimmy Donaldson's newest stunt might be starting his own bank. A trending meme uses a drawing of the White Rabbit (from Alice in Wonderland) pointing at a clock to joke about how much time people do (or don't) have left. Click here for the Interview Dr. Jean Twenge on 10 Rules for Raising Kids in a High-Tech World Become a monthly donor today, join the Table. For more Axis resources, go to axis.org.

After earning a journalism degree at the University of Missouri, Strobel was awarded a Ford Foundation fellowship to study at Yale Law School, where he received a Master of Studies in Law degree. For fourteen years he was a journalist at the Chicago Tribune and other newspapers, winning Illinois' top honors for investigative reporting (which he shared with a team he led) and public service journalism from United Press International. He is a New York Times bestselling author whose books have sold millions of copies worldwide. We'll be talking today primarily about his new book Seeing the Supernatural: Investigating Angels, Demons, Mystical Dreams, Near-Death Encounters, and Other Mysteries of the Unseen World. Become a monthly donor today, join the Table. For more Axis resources, go to axis.org.

Three Big Conversations: #WitchTok is upset at Crock-Pot for not releasing a cauldron. - 07:50 New studies about how spiritual yearning changes with age. - 21:35 Sora becomes the most-downloaded free app in the Apple App Store. - 38:33 Meme of the Week: “The lion does not concern himself…” The phrase “the lion does not concern himself with [thing X]” has been gaining popularity on TikTok and Instagram over the last few weeks. The phrase itself entered the lexicon thanks to Game of Thrones. However, in recent days, it's turned into an ironic way to justify personal preferences (Ex. “The lioness does not concern herself with onions on her In-N-Out burgers.”) or avoiding basic responsibilities (Ex. “The lion does not concern himself with folding laundry.”). Elsewhere in culture:  Streamer and political commentator Hasan Piker sparked controversy in the streaming world after he appeared to use a shock collar on his dog while streaming. The new EA game Battlefield 6 is having a very successful first week, setting it up to potentially dethrone Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 as the go-to first-person-shooter this holiday season. Popular shonen anime My Hero Academia begins its final season this weekend. In fact, it's a big season for season premieres of popular anime in general. Swifties are up-in-arms over Taylor Swift's alleged use of AI in her promo videos for her new album The Life of a Showgirl. Instagram announced a policy going into effect later this year that attempts to limit teens' accounts to only show content that would appear in PG-13 movies, a rating system Meta called "familiar to parents.” Become a monthly donor today, join the Table. For more Axis resources, go to axis.org.

#WitchTok is upset at Crock-Pot for not releasing a cauldron, new studies about how spiritual yearning changes with age, and Sora becomes the most-downloaded free app in the Apple App Store. Meme of the Week: “The lion does not concern himself…”  The phrase “the lion does not concern himself with [thing X]” has been gaining popularity on TikTok and Instagram over the last few weeks. The phrase itself entered the lexicon thanks to Game of Thrones. However, in recent days, it's turned into an ironic way to justify personal preferences (Ex. “The lioness does not concern herself with onions on her In-N-Out burgers.”) or avoiding basic responsibilities (Ex. “The lion does not concern himself with folding laundry.”). Elsewhere in culture:  Streamer and political commentator Hasan Piker sparked controversy in the streaming world after he appeared to use a shock collar on his dog while streaming. The new EA game Battlefield 6 is having a very successful first week, setting it up to potentially dethrone Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 as the go-to first-person-shooter this holiday season. Popular shonen anime My Hero Academia begins its final season this weekend. In fact, it's a big season for season premieres of popular anime in general. Swifties are up-in-arms over Taylor Swift's alleged use of AI in her promo videos for her new album The Life of a Showgirl. Instagram announced a policy going into effect later this year that attempts to limit teens' accounts to only show content that would appear in PG-13 movies, a rating system Meta called "familiar to parents.” Become a monthly donor today, join the Table. For more Axis resources, go to axis.org.  

"My daughter has been trying to wear the gothic style in her clothes and makeup. I have explained several times the roots of this fashion but she doesn't believe me. How could I help her to understad and to follow the Bible messages about all this stuff?" - Laura Become a monthly donor today, join the Table. For more Axis resources, go to axis.org.

Three Big Conversations: The AI-generated “actress” Tilly Norwood sparks controversy in the film industry. - 9:48 The band HUNTR/X from Kpop Demon Hunters makes its live debut. - 24:44  Our review of Taylor Swift's newest album The Life of a Showgirl. - 39:00 Resource of the Week: The Conversation Starter, Just One Weird Trick to Manifest Your Dreams And Ruin Your Life - 2:00 Elsewhere in culture: - 55:36 Lebron James baited the world by announcing a “Second Decision” which ended up not being his retirement, but just an alcohol promotion. Sean “Diddy” Combs was sentenced to over four years of prison, wrapping up (at least in terms of verdict) a very public and very scandalous trial. OpenAI's video tooI, Sora 2, is out in the world, and it's full of slop and copyrighted material. The meme phrase “The lion does not concern himself with…” followed by (usually) an innocuous task someone doesn't like to do has been rising in popularity on TikTok. Netflix has renewed One Piece through season 3, keeping the Straw Hat Crew's story of loyalty and found family alive for its growing teen fanbase. Become a monthly donor today, join the Table. For more Axis resources, go to axis.org.

The AI-generated “actress” Tilly Norwood sparks controversy in the film industry, the band HUNTR/X from Kpop Demon Hunters makes its live debut, and our review of Taylor Swift's newest album The Life of a Showgirl. Resource of the Week: The Conversation Starter, which is all about the difference between manifesting and prayer. Elsewhere in culture: Lebron James baited the world by announcing a “Second Decision” which ended up not being his retirement, but just an alcohol promotion. Sean “Diddy” Combs was sentenced to over four years of prison, wrapping up (at least in terms of verdict) a very public and very scandalous trial. OpenAI's video tooI, Sora 2, is out in the world, and it's full of slop and copyrighted material. The meme phrase “The lion does not concern himself with…” followed by (usually) an innocuous task someone doesn't like to do has been rising in popularity on TikTok. Netflix has renewed One Piece through season 3, keeping the Straw Hat Crew's story of loyalty and found family alive for its growing teen fanbase. Become a monthly donor today, join the Table. For more Axis resources, go to axis.org.

Melissa Dougherty is a Christian apologist best known for her YouTube channel with over 285,000 subscribers and counting. Her videos, which primarily cover New Age and New Thought, have been viewed over 18 million times. Melissa is highly regarded and connected in the apologetics community. She has a bachelor's degree in religious studies from Southern Evangelical Seminary, where she's also pursuing her master's degree in religious studies. We'll be talking today primarily about her new book, Happy Lies: How a Movement You (Probably) Never Heard of Shaped our Self-Obsessed World. Click HERE for Melissa's New Book. Click HERE for Melissa's Youtube Channel. Become a monthly donor today, join the Table. For more parenting resources, go to axis.org.

Three Big Conversations: Mr. Beast chains two exes together for 30 days. - 8:10 A new study finds increasing amounts of cognitive decline in young people. - 19:52 What terms like “sneaky links,” “zombie,” and “breadcrumbing” mean in the Gen Z dating landscape. - 41:02 Slang of the Week - "Bread" - 1:33 Elsewhere in Culture: - 57:22 K-Pop group HUNTR/X, of KPop Demon Hunters fame, will debut as a live band on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon this coming week. Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco are officially married, with Vogue unveiling their first set of breathtaking wedding photos. Young people had many opinions about the union.  JK Rowling sparked controversy after publishing a lengthy essay targeting Emma Watson and Daniel Radcliffe, igniting fresh backlash online. Gaming giant Electronic Arts, the studio behind The Sims and Madden, has been acquired in a record-breaking $55 billion deal. Taylor Swift's new album, The Life of a Showgirl, releases today. Look for our review next week! Become a monthly donor today, join the Table. And for more resources, go to axis.org.

Mr. Beast chains two exes together for 30 days, a new study finds increasing amounts of cognitive decline in young people, and what terms like “sneaky links,” “zombie,” and “breadcrumbing” mean in the Gen Z dating landscape. Slang of the Week - "Bread" Elsewhere in Culture: K-Pop group HUNTR/X, of KPop Demon Hunters fame, will debut as a live band on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon this coming week. Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco are officially married, with Vogue unveiling their first set of breathtaking wedding photos. Young people had many opinions about the union.  JK Rowling sparked controversy after publishing a lengthy essay targeting Emma Watson and Daniel Radcliffe, igniting fresh backlash online. Gaming giant Electronic Arts, the studio behind The Sims and Madden, has been acquired in a record-breaking $55 billion deal. Taylor Swift's new album, The Life of a Showgirl, releases today. Look for our review next week! Become a monthly donor today, join the Table. And for more resources, go to axis.org.

"My 21 year old is battling screen addiction. How can we help reach our now adult child's heart in order for him to see the garbage he is seeing on his phone? We know he is batteling porn but he feels helpless. How can we raise our other boys to respect the dangers of these devices?" Click to check out Porn Free Radio. Click to check out 7 Pillars of Freedom Group. Click to check out Protect Young Eyes. Here is Irene's Video about What Social Media Steals From You. Become a monthly donor today, join the Table. For more Axis resources, go to axis.org.

Three Big Conversations: RaptureTok reacts to the failed prediction of the rapture happening this past Tuesday. - 8:14 The R-rated anime movie Demon Slayer debuts at #1 in theaters. - 16:34 Ways parents can find solutions to the problem of parental loneliness.- 26:34 Song of the Week - “Man I Need” by Olivia Dean - 1:46 To read the lyrics, click here.  Elsewhere in culture: - 42:12 Fourteen-year-old influencer Zuza Beine from the Glow House passed away this week after an 11-year battle with leukemia.   Robot umpires are officially coming to Major League Baseball in 2026.  The Summer I Turned Pretty will return as a Prime movie, bringing Belly, Conrad, and the rest of the Cousins Beach crew back for the final chapter.  The “pi**er” trend has hit college campuses, with students posting viral clips of public urination and even sparking “pi**er hunter” accounts trying to track them down. Axis's new Conversation Starter video, “What Social Media Steals From You,” looks at how scrolling on our smartphones shapes our presence, our kids, and even our faith. Become a monthly donor today, join the Table. For more Axis resources, go to axis.org.

RaptureTok reacts to the failed prediction of the rapture happening this past Tuesday, the R-rated anime movie Demon Slayer debuts at #1 in theaters, and ways parents can find solutions to the problem of parental loneliness. Song of the Week - “Man I Need” by Olivia Dean To read the lyrics, click here.  Elsewhere in culture: Fourteen-year-old influencer Zuza Beine from the Glow House passed away this week after an 11-year battle with leukemia.   Robot umpires are officially coming to Major League Baseball in 2026.  The Summer I Turned Pretty will return as a Prime movie, bringing Belly, Conrad, and the rest of the Cousins Beach crew back for the final chapter.  The “pi**er” trend has hit college campuses, with students posting viral clips of public urination and even sparking “pi**er hunter” accounts trying to track them down. Axis's new Conversation Starter video, “What Social Media Steals From You,” looks at how scrolling on our smartphones shapes our presence, our kids, and even our faith. Become a monthly donor today, join the Table. For more Axis resources, go to axis.org.

Dr. Jean Twenge is a professor of psychology at San Diego State University, and is the author of more than 190 scientific publications and several books based on her research, including Generations, iGen, Generation Me, and her latest book 10 Rules for Raising Kids in a High-Tech World, which we'll be talking about today. Her research has been covered in Time, The Atlantic, Newsweek, The New York Times, USA TODAY, and The Washington Post. She has also been featured on Today, Good Morning America, Fox and Friends, CBS This Morning, Real Time with Bill Maher, Meet the Press, and NPR. She lives in San Diego with her husband and three daughters. Check out Dr. Jean Twenge's book here: 10 Rules for Raising Kids in a High-Tech World Become a monthly donor today, join the Table. For more Axis resources, go to axis.org.    

Three Big Conversations: The wilted rose emoji is the new broken heart emoji. - 12:32 The aftermath of the Charlie Kirk shooting. - 23:00 A new study about why the so-called “unhappiness hump” of midlife is shifting. - 43:36 Song of the Week - "Back to Friends" - sombr - 1:36 To read the lyrics click here. Elsewhere in culture: - 1:01:26 As of this past Sunday, Turning Point USA had reported 54,000 new inquiries from people wanting to start chapters of the organization Charlie Kirk helped to cofound. The game Borderlands 4 has been released, but it has several performance issues on gaming consoles. So-called “green witchcraft” is now trending, which is supposed to involve a mixture of herbalism and eco-friendly rituals. Apple's iOS 26, with its new Liquid Glass design style, is now available to anyone with iPhone 11 or later. The new Gen Z trend of “reverse catfishing” involves deliberately underselling oneself online, in the hopes of finding a connection with someone based on more than just edited images. Become a monthly donor today, join the Table. And for more resources, go to axis.org.

The wilted rose emoji is the new broken heart emoji, a new study about why the so-called “unhappiness hump” of midlife is shifting, and the aftermath of the Charlie Kirk shooting. Song of the Week - "Back to Friends" - sombr Elsewhere in culture: As of this past Sunday, Turning Point USA had reported 54,000 new inquiries from people wanting to start chapters of the organization Charlie Kirk helped to cofound. The game Borderlands 4 has been released, but it has several performance issues on gaming consoles. So-called “green witchcraft” is now trending, which is supposed to involve a mixture of herbalism and eco-friendly rituals. Apple's iOS 26, with its new Liquid Glass design style, is now available to anyone with iPhone 11 or later. The new Gen Z trend of “reverse catfishing” involves deliberately underselling oneself online, in the hopes of finding a connection with someone based on more than just edited images. To read the lyrics click here. Become a monthly donor today, join the Table. And for more resources, go to axis.org.

“We are very strict with our daughter about her presence on social media. However we often find that friends help her create accounts with Instagram and Snapchat on their phones and tablets. Just this morning I discovered an account (it isn't hard to find them) on Instagram where she was chatting with a boy from Miami she has never met. She was talking about how strict we are. He told her she needs to break free from her prison. The topic came up because he was wondering why she didn't have any photos of herself up. He also asked if she has a snapchat account. She doesn't realize how dangerous that very conversation is. This of all things is my "paranoid parent" issue. So I am reaching out to you Axis… how can we get our kids to understand how dangerous these conversations with strangers are. Sometimes I get afraid that the only way I can get her to understand would be to be far more graphic than I ever want to be. Can you discuss ways to have this conversation?” - Joy   Click here for the Everything Smartphone Guide on Amazon  Or experience it here. Donate today through The Table. For more Axis resources, go to axis.org.

Three Big Conversations: Sabrina Carpenter's new album pushes predictable buttons. - 9:22 Why Gen Alpha loves throwing up peace signs. -24:44 Why some people think online age verification is a dangerous idea. - 36:16 Song of the Week - "Dead Dance" - Lady Gaga-2:22 To read the lyrics click here. Elsewhere in culture: - 56:10 This week, Apple announced the next generation of iPhone, as well as new Airpods that feature live language translation. Ariana Grande is opting not to use dynamic pricing for her upcoming shows, ensuring tickets remain the same price regardless of demand. MTV's Video Music Awards happened this week, with Lady Gaga winning “Artist of the Year.”AI videos stylized like video game cutscenes (specifically Final Fantasy) are being created to bring “Bible stories to life like no one's ever seen before.” “Ranch Style,” i.e. fashion that focuses on looking like you work or live on a ranch, may be the hottest fashion trend in the upcoming months. Become a monthly donor, join the Table.

Sabrina Carpenter's new album pushes predictable buttons, why Gen Alpha loves throwing up peace signs, and why some people think online age verification is a dangerous idea.  Song of the Week - "Dead Dance" - Lady Gaga To read the lyrics click here. Elsewhere in culture: This week, Apple announced the next generation of iPhone, as well as new Airpods that feature live language translation. Ariana Grande is opting not to use dynamic pricing for her upcoming shows, ensuring tickets remain the same price regardless of demand. MTV's Video Music Awards happened this week, with Lady Gaga winning “Artist of the Year.”AI videos stylized like video game cutscenes (specifically Final Fantasy) are being created to bring “Bible stories to life like no one's ever seen before.” “Ranch Style,” i.e. fashion that focuses on looking like you work or live on a ranch, may be the hottest fashion trend in the upcoming months. Become a monthly donor, join the Table. For more Axis resources, go to axis.org.  

Clare is a fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center, where she directs EPPC's Technology and Human Flourishing Project. Prior to joining the EPPC, Mrs. Morell worked in both the White House Counsel's Office and the Department of Justice, as well as in the private and non-profit sectors. She is the author of The Tech Exit: A Practical Guide to Freeing Kids and Teens from Smartphones, which we'll be talking about today. Click here for Clare's book: The Tech Exit: A Practical Guide to Freeing Kids and Teens from Smartphones Donate today through The Table For more resources, go to axis.org.

Three Big Conversations: A solution to the problem of what to do when our kids have friends we don't like Why some high school and college students are giving up the use of AI The aftermath of the tragic shooting at Annunciation. Resource of the Week - The Table Elsewhere in culture: Sabrina Carpenter said that her new album Man's Best Friend was “not for any pearl clutchers,” as reported by The Hollywood Reporter (strong language and sexual content). Memes about Wal-Mart's recall of “radioactive shrimp” started trending. Episode 1 of the new season of The Great British Baking Show will be released tonight in the United States. TCU destroyed North Carolina 48-14 in Bill Belichick's college football coaching debut. Long-awaited indie game Hollow Knight: Silksong was released yesterday and was so popular it was crashing digital storefronts. For more Axis resources, go to axis.org.

A solution to the problem of what to do when our kids have friends we don't like, why some high school and college students are giving up the use of AI, and the aftermath of the tragic shooting at Annunciation. Resource of the Week - The Table Elsewhere in culture: Sabrina Carpenter said that her new album Man's Best Friend was “not for any pearl clutchers,” as reported by The Hollywood Reporter (strong language and sexual content). Memes about Wal-Mart's recall of “radioactive shrimp” started trending. Episode 1 of the new season of The Great British Baking Show will be released tonight in the United States. TCU destroyed North Carolina 48-14 in Bill Belichick's college football coaching debut. Long-awaited indie game Hollow Knight: Silksong was released yesterday and was so popular it was crashing digital storefronts.

“I'm sure people are asking this but I am overwhelmed with technology. I have put into place the parental controls on the iPhone and my 15 yr old hacks around it. I bought him a bark phone now. But I can't seem to make him “get it”. To know and feel integrity and make wise choices when nobody is looking. It seems no matter what I do, the tech outsmarts me and I feel like a failure as a parent that my son has somehow gotten addicted to porn behind my back. I hope you can address this in a podcast.” - Cara This podcast is entirely Q&A based! Send in your questions to ask@axis.org. Resources from the episode: Click here for the Everything Smartphone Guide on Amazon  Or experience it here. Sherry Turkle's book: Reclaiming Conversation: The Power of Talk in a Digital Age Brain, Heart, World Documentary Axis: Talking to Your Teen About Pornography Pure Desire - Ministry and Resources Donate today through The Table For more resources, go to axis.org.

It's Smartphone September, and we're releasing a whole suite of new content aimed at the glowing rectangles that dominate so much of our lives, and how families can navigate these devices with wisdom.  Click here for the Everything Smartphone Guide on Amazon  Or experience it here. Donate today through The Table. And for more resources, go to axis.org.  

Three Big Conversations: Roblox is getting sued for failing to protect children from online predators. - 6:58 Jazz-pop musician Laufey sings about self-worth on her new album (language). - 26:48 What the celebration of Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's engagement says about our culture. - 39:20 Slang of the Week - “41” (language) - 1:40 Elsewhere in culture: - 53:40 The music-streaming app Spotify will soon roll out a direct messaging function for app users. Forrest Frank created a video offering forgiveness to the other Christians—particularly Cory Asbury—who have been making parody videos about his back injury. A California family is suing OpenAI for ChatGPT's role in their son's suicide. Many people on YouTube and other platforms are changing their profile pictures to images of the once-hated Clippy to protest ethical failures in modern tech companies. Our newest episode of the Conversation Starter is all about the hit zombie show, and game, The Last of Us. Check out our video on Roblox here. Become a monthly donor today with the Table. For more Axis resources, go to axis.org.

Roblox is getting sued for failing to protect children from online predators, jazz-pop musician Laufey sings about self-worth on her new album (language), and what the celebration of Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's engagement says about our culture. Slang of the Week - “41” (language) Elsewhere in culture: The music-streaming app Spotify will soon roll out a direct messaging function for app users. Forrest Frank created a video offering forgiveness to the other Christians—particularly Cory Asbury—who have been making parody videos about his back injury. A California family is suing OpenAI for ChatGPT's role in their son's suicide. Many people on YouTube and other platforms are changing their profile pictures to images of the once-hated Clippy to protest ethical failures in modern tech companies. Our newest episode of the Conversation Starter is all about the hit zombie show, and game, The Last of Us. Check out our video on Roblox here. Become a monthly donor today with the Table. For more Axis resources, go to axis.org.

I'm here today with Dr. Preston Sprinkle and Laurie Krieg, the President and Director of Parent Programs respectively for the Center for Faith, Sexuality & Gender. Preston is a New York Times–bestselling author who's written over a dozen books, and got his PhD in New Testament from Aberdeen University. Laurie has a master's in evangelism and leadership from Wheaton Graduate School, and hosts the Hole in My Heart podcast with her husband Matt, with whom she also co-authored the book An Impossible Marriage, and the upcoming book Raising Wise Kids in a Sexually Broken World with Matt Krieg. Today we'll be talking about the new, upcoming resource from the Center for Faith, Sexuality and Gender called Christian Sexuality: Raising Kids, which is designed to be a comprehensive discipleship resource for parents, and will be coming out next week, on September 1. To check out the resource, click here. For more Axis resources, go to axis.org.

Three Big Conversations: The Queen of RichTok makes $500,000 necklaces seem boring. - 07:34 Back-to-school trends come with a Y2K flair. - 25:50 AI researchers are preparing for the worst.- 39:34 Slang of the Week - “6-7”- 1:20 Elsewhere in culture: - 57:30 Europe's premiere gaming conference, Gamescom, kicked off this week, with new games being detailed and announced, including a new Lego Batman game. Christian musician Forrest Frank has surpassed Drake in terms of monthly listeners on YouTube Music. The Cambridge Dictionary has officially added the words skibidi and delulu. Educator and influencer Hank Green helped create a successful productivity app called Focus Friend, in which going to distracting apps prevents your cute pet bean from being able to finish knitting. A 2017 book about resisting tyranny has sold over 250,000 copies this year after going viral on TikTok. For more Axis resources, go to axis.org.

The Queen of RichTok makes $500,000 necklaces seem boring, back-to-school trends come with a Y2K flair, and AI researchers are preparing for the worst. Slang of the Week - “6-7” Elsewhere in culture: Europe's premiere gaming conference, Gamescom, kicked off this week, with new games being detailed and announced, including a new Lego Batman game. Christian musician Forrest Frank has surpassed Drake in terms of monthly listeners on YouTube Music. The Cambridge Dictionary has officially added the words skibidi and delulu. Educator and influencer Hank Green helped create a successful productivity app called Focus Friend, in which going to distracting apps prevents your cute pet bean from being able to finish knitting. A 2017 book about resisting tyranny has sold over 250,000 copies this year after going viral on TikTok. For more Axis resources, go to axis.org.

"How do you think artificial general intelligence will affect our children? How do we prepare our families for AGI's advent in 2 to 3 years?" - Christina Ai will change what it is to be human. Are we ready? - Article This podcast is entirely Q&A based! Send in your questions to ask@axis.org. And for more resources, go to axis.org.

Three Big Conversations: The “Nicki Minaj stiletto challenge” encourages influencers to film themselves balancing on one stiletto-clad foot. - 05:50 OpenAI released GPT-5 and users hate it. - 16:08 Why time (unfortunately) flies when we're using social media. - 43:22 Slang of the Week - "Dogwater" - 01:25 Elsewhere in culture: - 53:06 Taylor Swift announced (on her boyfriend's football podcast) that her 12th album will be titled The Life of a Showgirl, and available for pre-order soon. Popular TikTok couple Nick and Cassie, featured on @cassiesbooktok, are breaking up—and the video announcing it has almost 8 million likes and numerous comments, each with hundreds of thousands of likes. An article in Airmail connects the trend of brides planning wedding proposals for themselves to the fact that proposal content tends to get more likes on social media. The phrase “just found out I'm chopped and also unc” is trending, and jokingly refers to someone being both unattractive (chopped) and old (unc). Chappell Roan's new song “The Subway” is about struggling to get over a breakup (language and sexual content). For more Axis resources, go to axis.org.

OpenAI released GPT-5 and users hate it, the “Nicki Minaj stiletto challenge” encourages influencers to film themselves balancing on one stiletto-clad foot, and why time (unfortunately) flies when we're using social media. Slang of the Week - "Dogwater" Elsewhere in culture: Taylor Swift announced (on her boyfriend's football podcast) that her 12th album will be titled The Life of a Showgirl, and available for pre-order soon. Popular TikTok couple Nick and Cassie, featured on @cassiesbooktok, are breaking up—and the video announcing it has almost 8 million likes and numerous comments, each with hundreds of thousands of likes. An article in Airmail connects the trend of brides planning wedding proposals for themselves to the fact that proposal content tends to get more likes on social media. The phrase “just found out I'm chopped and also unc” is trending, and jokingly refers to someone being both unattractive (chopped) and old (unc). Chappell Roan's new song “The Subway” is about struggling to get over a breakup (language and sexual content).

After earning a journalism degree at the University of Missouri, Strobel was awarded a Ford Foundation fellowship to study at Yale Law School, where he received a Master of Studies in Law degree. For fourteen years he was a journalist at the Chicago Tribune and other newspapers, winning Illinois' top honors for investigative reporting (which he shared with a team he led) and public service journalism from United Press International. He is a New York Times bestselling author whose books have sold millions of copies worldwide. We'll be talking today primarily about his new book Seeing the Supernatural: Investigating Angels, Demons, Mystical Dreams, Near-Death Encounters, and Other Mysteries of the Unseen World. For more Axis resources, go to axis.org.

Three Big Conversations: The Summer I Turned Pretty is back for its 3rd season and is taking over Amazon Prime. - 3:00 What it means that 40% of 18 to 29-year-olds get their news from TikTok. - 25:32 Why it feels like most people aren't paying attention to the same parts of culture this summer. - 46:04 Survey of the Week - The Miraculous- 01:18 Elsewhere in culture:- 58:28 Gen Alpha now drives almost half of household spending, at least in the US. Vodka seltzer company High Noon recently issued a recall after some of their vodka products were mistakenly labeled as Celsius energy drinks. The first half of Wednesday Season 2 officially dropped on Netflix this week. The phrase “you need to nerd out” is being used as a new social media flex, helping to make obsessive, niche fandom cool again. “Clanker,” originally a Star Wars diss for droids, is now trending as a meme insult for AI and robots.

The Summer I Turned Pretty is back for its 3rd season and is taking over Amazon Prime, what it means that 40% of 18 to 29-year-olds get their news from TikTok, and why it feels like most people aren't paying attention to the same parts of culture this summer. Survey of the Week - The Miraculous Elsewhere in culture: Gen Alpha now drives almost half of household spending, at least in the US. Vodka seltzer company High Noon recently issued a recall after some of their vodka products were mistakenly labeled as Celsius energy drinks. The first half of Wednesday Season 2 officially dropped on Netflix this week. The phrase “you need to nerd out” is being used as a new social media flex, helping to make obsessive, niche fandom cool again. “Clanker,” originally a Star Wars diss for droids, is now trending as a meme insult for AI and robots. For more Axis resources, go to axis.org.

Pheba writes in to say: “Hi! I'm excited about the podcast. I'd like to hear about navigating body image issues with teen girls.” This podcast is entirely Q&A based! Send in your questions to ask@axis.org. And for more resources, go to axis.org.

Three Big Conversations: A TikTok creator named Lewky takes idiotic dating app exchanges and turns them into musical skits the social media app Tea which allows women to share red flags about specific men gets hacked Marvel's Fantastic Four explores the power of family bonds in the face of total annihilation Slang of the Week - "Chopped" Elsewhere in culture: Memes about Ozzy Osbourne dying and being reincarnated as a baby named Aquaman started trending. Twitch streamer Ninja shared his Christian faith with 19 million followers. Labubu plushies are now luxury items, selling for up to $170,000. The book series Fourth Wing will be adapted into an Amazon TV show. “Proximity posting” is the new social media flex.

A TikTok creator named Lewky takes idiotic dating app exchanges and turns them into musical skits, the social media app Tea which allows women to share red flags about specific men gets hacked, and Marvel's Fantastic Four explores the power of family bonds in the face of total annihilation. Welcome to the Roundtable. Slang of the Week - "Chopped" Elsewhere in culture: Memes about Ozzy Osbourne dying and being reincarnated as a baby named Aquaman started trending. Twitch streamer Ninja shared his Christian faith with 19 million followers. Labubu plushies are now luxury items, selling for up to $170,000. The book series Fourth Wing will be adapted into an Amazon TV show. “Proximity posting” is the new social media flex.