Youth Updates

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Hi, hello and welcome to Youth Updates: a regular drop of information around what’s going on in youth culture. Exploring the digital world, trends, language, pop culture, issues, faith & spirituality and hot topics; each drop gives you a snapshot into 3 areas of youth culture designed to raise awareness and inspire you for your context. Listen to each podcast and never miss a beat by subscribing or to get a quick glimpse why not read the blog under each episode at yfc.co.uk/youthupdates. From us to you – we present Youth Updates!

Youth for Christ


    • Mar 14, 2025 LATEST EPISODE
    • monthly NEW EPISODES
    • 21m AVG DURATION
    • 42 EPISODES


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    Latest episodes from Youth Updates

    Season 4 Episode 7: City vs Rural

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 14, 2025 46:42


    Join us as we chat about young people and youth culture, unpacking just how different it might be in a city context to a rural context! Are they worlds apart or more similar than we might imagine?!

    Season 4 Episode 6: What the Sigma? Music, Family and Mental Health

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 14, 2025 22:53


    Join Hannah and Beth as they reflect on what the Grammys tells us about youth culture, research on the number of single parent-households and the ever-important topic of mental health.

    Season 4 Episode 5: We Cooked With Our Guest Episode

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 17, 2025 24:31


    Join us as we speak to former BBC correspondent, Nicola Morrison as she chats with us about social media, peer pressure and belonging.

    Season 4 Episode 4: Social Media Bans, Festive Food & Christmas Anxieties

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 20, 2024 22:18


    Join Hannah and Beth for the final podcast of the year as they chat about the upcoming social media ban in Australia for teens, young people's Christmas anxieties, which festive food young people would chuck and our final word of the month for 2024!

    Season 4 Episode 3: Let's Grill Some Young People!

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 22, 2024 28:32


    Hannah and Beth are joined by four young people as they grill them about what it's like to be a young person today.

    Season 4 Episode 2: Do We Gain Aura Points For This?

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 25, 2024 24:31


    Join Hannah, Beth and their guest Shaun (Senior Lead of Courageous at British Youth for Christ) as they unpack biblical literacy, what increases young people's wellbeing, how Gen Alpha learn new things and our word of the month!

    Season 4 Episode 1: Three Very Demure Topics

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 26, 2024 20:49


    It's time to kick off a new season of Youth Updates! This time we're looking at young people and worship, whether we're always too late to the party on demure trends, a switch up in freshers weeks and our world famous word of the month!

    Season 3 Episode 10: Genny Lec, Mullets & Youth Centre Closures

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 21, 2024 24:23


    It's our last drop of Youth Updates before we take a break for the summer so hunker on down as we unpack a hot topic, trend, issue and our bussin' word of the month, alongside our guest Jon Sewell aka Jon Jackal.

    Season 3 Episode 9: Fashion Deja Vu, Witchcraft & Gap Years. This Podcast Ate

    Play Episode Listen Later May 24, 2024 21:08


    With this podcast, Beth and Hannah ate. (Not sure, what that means? Then definitely give it a listen!). We also discuss the rise in popularity of witchcraft, the resurgence of early 00s fashion and gap years!

    Season 3 Episode 8: A Tortured Poet, The Future & The Rise Of Crafting

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 26, 2024 19:22


    Join us as we chat about the tortured poet that's breaking loads of records, what young people think their future will be like, how crafting is gaining popularity again and of course – our word (or abbreviation!) of the month! 

    Season 3 Episode 7: No School, No News And A Surprise Trip To The Country

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 15, 2024 20:57


    Join us as we think about the drop in school attendance, where young people are finding their news, a genre shift by a musical icon that's made waves and why our podcast isn't spenny. 

    Season 3 Episode 6: Our Digital World Special Is A Green Flag

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 16, 2024 18:36


    Dive into our digital world special looking at the new game on the scene that you NEED to know about, how social media has spurred young people to take up an off-line hobby and what young people think about gaming! Plus find out more about flags in our word of the month.  

    Season 3 Episode 5: ACES aren't ACE

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 12, 2024 26:43


    Our first Youth Updates of 2024 is a focused special all about ACES. Join us as we chat to our guest, Jon Needham (Director of Safeguarding for a large multi-academy trust) about Adverse Childhood Experiences and what we might need to know about them. 

    Season 3 Episode 4: What A Drunk Elephant Has To Do With Christmas

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 15, 2023 19:40


    It's our final drop of the year! In this festively-timed Youth Updates we look at the trend that's sweeping teen girls Christmas lists, how spirituality benefits mental wellbeing, our word of the month and how you should never call a young person out of the blue!  yfc.co.uk/youthupdates

    Season 3 Episode 3: Don't Have A Menty B Over Gen Z

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 12, 2023 21:33


    If e-Sports doesn't ring a bell, you wonder what Gen Z searches for most on Spotify or you're concerned over fake news on social media, then this Youth Updates is for you!

    Season 3 Episode 2: Phase Trust Talks About Exploitation Of Young People

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 20, 2023 22:13


    Join us as we chat to Hannah and Pete from Phase Trust about young people and exploitation; including what the big concerns are right now and things to watch out for. Plus...get not one, not two but three words of the month!

    Season 3: Episode 1: Issues Facing Young People That Might Send You Into A Coma

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 22, 2023 19:01


    We're back for Season 3 of Youth Updates! Join Hannah and Beth as they chat with Neil O'Boyle, National Director of British Youth For Christ, about 3 things he sees going on in youth culture. You don't want to miss it!

    Season 2 Episode 10: This Isn't Mid

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 14, 2023 15:07


    Today we look at the humour of young people, the fresh wave of year 7s coming up into youth groups this Autumn, our word of the month and changes affecting those thinking about higher education. 

    Season 2 Episode 9: Don't Sleep On This Episode!

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 16, 2023 16:53


    A 10% increase in counselling sessions about exam stress since the pandemic? This month in Youth Updates, Beth and Hannah discuss this NSPCC article as well as decoding the world of AI and ChatGPT alongside which artists are doing huge arena tours garnering a huge following online. Not forgetting our usual word of the month - give it a listen!

    Season 2 Episode 8: What Would You Tell Your Younger Self

    Play Episode Listen Later May 19, 2023 12:47


    Join Beth as she asks 3 guests to unpack their answer to the question 'If you could go back in time to when you were a young person, what would you tell yourself?', exploring what they would say and how it links to young people today. And, of course, there's also our word of the month (with the intro sung beautifully by one of our guests!)

    Season 2 Episode 7: Tate, Faith, Reels & Side Eye

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 21, 2023 18:41


    Join us as we talk about Andrew Tate, reflections from a festival, our word of the month and a run down of some basic social media terms!

    Season 2 Episode 6: Prime, Tiktok & Being A Young Adult In Church

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 24, 2023 23:05


    Join us as we welcome a special guest, Rebecca, to chat about being a young adult in church and that key transition from youth to 'grown up' church. Alongside this we chat about the 'Prime' drink craze, Tiktok's new safety features and our word of the month!

    Season 2 Episode 5: Do rising costs, award shows and bullying give you the ick?

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 24, 2023 17:49


    Join Hannah and Beth as they unpack some reports on bullying and young people in the cost of living crisis, alongside talking about notable moments from the awards season so far and what 'the ick' is.

    Season 2 Episode 4: We Are Tearfund Takes Over

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 13, 2023 35:16


    We are kicking off the new year in the best way we can possibly imagine – with a We Are Tearfund Takeover! Join us as we chat to Lian about the topic of racial injustice, the refugee crisis and being a leader in justice and what this means for young people and what they can do. We also hear from voices of young people and young adults on these topics too. You don't want to miss it!

    Season 2 Episode 3: Youth Takeover

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 9, 2022 21:37


    This time, Hannah and Beth are joined by two young people who give their thoughts on everything from the best part of Christmas dinner, whether their generation is obsessed with the digital world and what they want youth-workers to know!

    Season 2 Episode 2: Ye or Nay, Midnights & Qatar Controversy

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 11, 2022 19:57


    Join us in our latest podcast where we talk about some contentious points of late regarding the Qatar world cup and Ye's wide-scale cancellation. Alongside this we talk about Taylor Swift's latest album which has taken the pop world by storm and of course, our world famous word of the month.

    Episode 1: Alpha, Halloween, Vaping and SLAY!

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 14, 2022 18:46


    Join Beth and Hannah as they kick off season 2 of Youth Updates. Of course, word of the month has returned alongside looking at the new Year 7's that have entered the youth-work world, Halloween and the rise of vaping!

    EPISODE 14: Handing Trauma, Festivals, Authentic Social Media and Glowing Up

    Play Episode Listen Later May 6, 2022 19:28


    Hop in and listen to the latest Youth Updates looking at how young people talk about *trauma*, the return of festivals, what a glow up is and a new up-and-coming social media platform!

    Episode 13: Happy Birthday, 'That' Oscars Moment & Peer Evangelism

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 8, 2022 18:58


    Youth Updates is one year old! Huzzah! In this special drop of Youth Updates we reflect back on what we were talking about one year ago and how things have moved on since then. Alongside this, we take a look at 'that' moment from the Oscars and the importance of young people sharing their faith with their mates.

    Episode 12: Ukraine, Twitch and Some People Are Missing Lockdown?

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 11, 2022 19:53


    '1 in 3 young people miss lockdown' - was a finding from a piece of research we discuss in this month's episode, as well as how the Russia Ukraine conflict is affecting young people and what on earth the streaming platform Twitch is.

    Episode 11: Drill, Happy Singleness and The Thing We Don't Talk About...

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 11, 2022 28:11


    What do drill music, Encanto and being happily single have in common?! They're all a part of this episode! Join Hannah, Beth and their guest, Jon, as they have a good old chinwag about some elements of youth culture - and let's not forget the sensational word of the month!

    EPISODE 10: The One About Google, Fishing & How 24% of Youth Groups Have Stopped

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 14, 2022 17:53


    It's 2022 and Youth Updates is back! Join us (with our fancy new clean audio quality!) as we reflect on key Google trends of 2021, think about the patterns of young people's church attendance and a type of fishing that keeps appearing in celebrity culture. We're lowkey excited for this one...

    Episode 9: ‘Tis the season...to talk about sexting?

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 3, 2021 23:42


    Join us as welcome a special guest in a one-off 'Youth Updates' all about the issue of sexting, but never fear – we've still got a word of the month for you!

    Episode 8: Squid Game, 2010 and Leaked Instagram Research

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 5, 2021 23:49


    Join us for episode 8 as we chat about the Netflix phenomena of Squid Game, what happened in the year 2010 (aka the year 11-year-olds were born!), leaked Instagram research and what ‘lives rent free' means.

    Episode 7: Berries and Cream

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 8, 2021 15:38


    Episode 7 unpacks young people's climate anxiety, Halloween, what ‘ghost' really means and a little lad who loves berries and cream.

    Episode 6: Donda, Family Influence & County lines

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 10, 2021 24:11


    Join us for episode 6 as we look at Kanye West's new album, the influence of family on faith and county lines.

    Episode 5: 'Gen Alpha are coming!'

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 12, 2021 21:28


    Join Hannah, Beth and Tom as they talk about how Gen Alpha are coming, the Olympics, micropreneurship and the word of the month!

    Episode 4: ‘Islands, Nudes & Results Day'

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 16, 2021 17:37


    Join Beth & Hannah as they unpack Love Island, a new tool for reporting nude photos, results day and the word of the month (complete with fabulously sung jingle!)

    Episode 3: 'Photodumping, Sour and the Euros'

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 18, 2021 19:22


    We're so glad you've joined us as we delve into a few snapshots of youth culture. This time we look at photo-dumping, Olivia Rodrigo's 'sour' album, the timeless nature of football and our word of the month!

    Episode 2: 'Vogue, School and Justice'

    Play Episode Listen Later May 21, 2021 24:27


    Tune in to hear about our second drop of info helping you keep in the know when it comes to youth culture!

    Episode 1: 'The Start Of Something New'

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 23, 2021 18:50


    Hi, hello and welcome to the very first youth updates! We're glad you've joined us in this corner of the youth-work world as we aim to open up dive into youth culture. Our heart is to be youth-workers helping youth-workers (and families and churches!) by dropping regular information via our blog and podcast. This drop we are looking at news in the digital world, a trend that has gone bye-bye and an issue to consider as we come out of lockdown. For the full experience, go to: yfc.co.uk/podcast/episode-1-the-start-of-something-new

    Youth Updates Trailer

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 20, 2021 1:16


    Hi, hello and welcome to Youth Updates: a regular drop of information around what's going on in youth culture. Exploring the digital world, trends, language, pop culture, issues, faith & spirituality and hot topics; each drop gives you a snapshot into 3 areas of youth culture designed to raise awareness and inspire you for your context. Listen to each podcast and never miss a beat by subscribing or to get a quick glimpse why not read the blog under each episode at yfc.co.uk/youthupdates. From us to you – we present Youth Updates!

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