Axis Conversations

Axis

Each week on Axis Conversations, we survey cultural trends, host expert interviews, and answer listener questions to help parents and caring adults understand and disciple the next generation

  1. 4 hr ago

    World Cup Semifinals, All-Star Break Complaints, and the Netflix Documentary Trend

    Argentina is back in the World Cup final, the MLB's All-Star competitions had some hiccups, and everyone online is auditioning for their Netflix documentary debut. Resource of the Week: The Conversation Starter - Where'd All the Tweens Go? In Other News: A parasite that causes extreme digestive upset is maybe the meme of the week (alongside Netflix documentaries). It certainly doesn't help that it's possibly connected to Taco Bell. Christopher Nolan's film The Odyssey is out in theaters this weekend. We'll write more about it next week, but for now, the R-rated take on Homer's epic poem is reviewing quite well with critics and audiences. Letterboxd has opened itself (paywall) to being purchased. It's Gen Z's movie review app of choice, and considering how Gen Z showed up to theaters this year, it's pretty valuable to buyers like Netflix and Sony to understand the preferences of young people. Meta rolled out a "feature" that effectively lets you use their AI tools to deepfake users with public accounts. It was promptly rolled back after the internet (rightly) freaked out. Assassin's Creed is back? Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced (a remake of Assassin's Creed Black Flag) sold 2 million copies in its first day. 🎧 Listen / Follow / Connect → 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.

  2. 6 days ago

    Roundtable: Taylor Swift's Wedding, Butter Moms, and Christian Teens Say They Trust AI

    → The podcast has a new YouTube Channel! @axisconversationspodcast Three Big Conversations: Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce got married in a garden in The Garden - 08:04 So-called "butter moms" are setting the vibe for a deep-fried summer - 19:00 New data from CIY and Barna gives us insight into how Christian teens are using AI. - 32:20 Slang of the Week: "NPC" - 00:56 In Other News:- 48:00 The round of 16 is officially wrapped in the 2026 World Cup, with all three host countries (Canada, Mexico, and the US) failing to continue. Another notable casualty is Portugal, with global superstar Cristiano Ronaldo saying goodbye to World Cup competition. Building on the trend of hosting in-person experiences, Charli xcx has announced official listening parties, hosted around the world, for her July 24th album, titled Music, Fashion, Film. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has invited 529 new members, perhaps as an attempt to regain relevance with the rising generation. The new Oscar voters will include Gen Z notables like Jacob Elordi, Jenna Ortega, and Mia Goth. The video game industry continues to be volatile, as Xbox announced this week that they're laying off almost 5,000 employees and "resetting Xbox." While perhaps not indicative of all, trends where young people reject modern "big tech" continue to rise in popularity, like the "Luddite Festival" that took place in New York City last week. 🎧 Listen / Follow / Connect → 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.

  3. 9 Jul

    CT: Taylor Swift's Wedding, Butter Moms, and Christian Teens Say They Trust AI

    Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce got married in a garden in The Garden, so-called "butter moms" are setting the vibe for a deep-fried summer, and new data from CIY and Barna gives us insight into how Christian teens are using AI. Slang of the Week: "NPC" In Other News: The round of 16 is officially wrapped in the 2026 World Cup, with all three host countries (Canada, Mexico, and the US) failing to continue. Another notable casualty is Portugal, with global superstar Cristiano Ronaldo saying goodbye to World Cup competition. Building on the trend of hosting in-person experiences, Charli xcx has announced official listening parties, hosted around the world, for her July 24th album, titled Music, Fashion, Film. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has invited 529 new members, perhaps as an attempt to regain relevance with the rising generation. The new Oscar voters will include Gen Z notables like Jacob Elordi, Jenna Ortega, and Mia Goth. The video game industry continues to be volatile, as Xbox announced this week that they're laying off almost 5,000 employees and "resetting Xbox." While perhaps not indicative of all, trends where young people reject modern "big tech" continue to rise in popularity, like the "Luddite Festival" that took place in New York City last week. 🎧 Listen / Follow / Connect → 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.

  4. 3 Jul

    Roundtable: Gambling Influencers, Concert Diapers, and Instagram Plus

    Three Big Conversations: The "prediction market" site Polymarket is paying influencers to film themselves pretending to win money - 12:36 Instagram Plus lets users see how many times others rewatched their stories - 24:28 Gen Z faves Olivia Rodrigo and Noah Kahan speak out on fans' bad bathroom habits - 32:36 Song of the Week: "Earrings" by Malcolm Todd - 01:54 → Click here to read the lyrics In Other News: - 46:10 Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are renting out Madison Square Garden this Fourth of July weekend. While they might be reliving the Knicks' miraculous NBA Finals victory, it's more likely to be related to her wedding. Whether shifting trends in moviegoers' tastes or continued superhero fatigue are to blame, Supergirl seems to be a miss at the box office this summer. Viewership is down significantly for season 2 of the live-action Avatar: The Last Airbender, and it's far from the only show that seems to be losing viewer interest on Netflix. Sony announced that they are ending production of physical discs for PlayStation games in 2028, a clear marker of consumer preferences and another solemn ring in the death knell of physical media. WNBA star Sophie Cunningham went viral after defiantly pointing at opponent DeWanna Bonner for almost half a minute. Mature? Not really. Internet meme fodder? Absolutely. 🎧 Listen / Follow / Connect → 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.

  5. 2 Jul

    CT: Gambling Influencers, Concert Diapers, and Instagram Plus

    The "prediction market" site Polymarket is paying influencers to film themselves pretending to win money, Instagram Plus lets users see how many times others rewatched their stories, and Gen Z faves Olivia Rodrigo and Noah Kahan speak out on fans' bad bathroom habits. Song of the Week: "Earrings" by Malcolm Todd → Click here to read the lyrics In Other News: Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are renting out Madison Square Garden this Fourth of July weekend. While they might be reliving the Knicks' miraculous NBA Finals victory, it's more likely to be related to her wedding. Whether shifting trends in moviegoers' tastes or continued superhero fatigue are to blame, Supergirl seems to be a miss at the box office this summer. Viewership is down significantly for season 2 of the live-action Avatar: The Last Airbender, and it's far from the only show that seems to be losing viewer interest on Netflix. Sony announced that they are ending production of physical discs for PlayStation games in 2028, a clear marker of consumer preferences and another solemn ring in the death knell of physical media. WNBA star Sophie Cunningham went viral after defiantly pointing at opponent DeWanna Bonner for almost half a minute. Mature? Not really. Internet meme fodder? Absolutely. 🎧 Listen / Follow / Connect → 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.

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
10 Ratings

About

Each week on Axis Conversations, we survey cultural trends, host expert interviews, and answer listener questions to help parents and caring adults understand and disciple the next generation

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