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. 5d ago

    Roundtable: Notifications In Class, Gen Z's Financial Openness, and Brain Implants

    → Help us improve our podcast! Click here to fill out this three-minute survey. Three Big Conversations: Social media companies are being sued for engaging students during school hours - 04:14 Gen Z is more comfortable disclosing their personal finances than any other generation - 17:28 Why a chip being inserted into our brains might be the least of our problems - 26:38 Resource of the Week - The Sermon on the Mount Experience - 02:02 In Other News: - 37:54 The 2026 World Cup, hosted by Mexico, the United States, and Canada, kicked off this Thursday in Mexico City. If it matches 2022's viewing numbers, the tournament will attract 5 and a half billion global viewers. Popular and sometimes controversial teen fast-fashion store Brandy Melville announced they're removing their fitting rooms, a decision that's been particularly derided on TikTok.  It doesn't help that the store also has a limited in-person return policy. "Dirty sodas" are rising in popularity, but these drinks, which combine soda with things like flavored syrups and cream, can often be metabolic catastrophes with absurd amounts of sugar and calories. The first week of June is all about announcements of upcoming video games, with the highlights this year being a remake of Ocarina of Time, a new Spyro game, and a single-player, story-based Among Us game. There's also what feels like 100 other games coming out this September, a strategy to avoid competing with October's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 and November's Grand Theft Auto 6. Are board shorts the look of the summer? Some think so. We'll let you know if you should buy puka shell necklaces again, too. 🎧 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.

    41 min
  2. 6d ago

    CT: Notifications In Class, Gen Z's Financial Openness, and Brain Implants

    → Help us improve our podcast! Click here to fill out this three-minute survey. Social media companies are being sued for engaging students during school hours, Gen Z is more comfortable disclosing their personal finances than any other generation, and why a chip being inserted into our brains might be the least of our problems. Resource of the Week - The Sermon on the Mount Experience In Other News: The 2026 World Cup, hosted by Mexico, the United States, and Canada, kicked off this Thursday in Mexico City. If it matches 2022's viewing numbers, the tournament will attract 5 and a half billion global viewers. Popular and sometimes controversial teen fast-fashion store Brandy Melville announced they're removing their fitting rooms, a decision that's been particularly derided on TikTok.  It doesn't help that the store also has a limited in-person return policy. "Dirty sodas" are rising in popularity, but these drinks, which combine soda with things like flavored syrups and cream, can often be metabolic catastrophes with absurd amounts of sugar and calories. The first week of June is all about announcements of upcoming video games, with the highlights this year being a remake of Ocarina of Time, a new Spyro game, and a single-player, story-based Among Us game. There's also what feels like 100 other games coming out this September, a strategy to avoid competing with October's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 and November's Grand Theft Auto 6. Are board shorts the look of the summer? Some think so. We'll let you know if you should buy puka shell necklaces again, too. 🎧 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.

    13 min
  3. Jun 5

    Roundtable (Ft. Mike Novotny): Off Campus, Lunch Shaming, and Backrooms

    → Help us improve our podcast! Click here to fill out this three-minute survey. Three Big Conversations: Off Campus is already a frontrunner for teen show of the summer - 10:16 Students are scared to eat in front of their peers - 24:32 What the success of Backrooms says about the state of the movies - 34:20 Slang of the Week - Lida Bida Boda Butt - 2:18 → Mike Novotny's NEW BOOK - Newlywed: A Christian Guide for Loving Year One In Other News: - 43:20 Taylor Swift's new song "I Knew It, I Knew You" comes out today and was inspired by an early screening of Toy Story. PlayStation's "State of Play" gaming showcase happened this week, with most of the buzz being around an announcement of a new God of War game where you play as Kratos' wife, Faye, and an extended look at the M-rated Marvel's Wolverine game, coming out in September. Recent releases of UAP footage from the US government have some Christians debating whether these supposed alien visitations could actually represent demonic activity. Indie group Boards of Canada's first album since 2013, Inferno, explores faith, spirituality, and existential dread over eerie electronic beats. A YouTuber known as "Reckless Ben" was arrested for trespassing in his attempt to pursue justice against the Bricks & Minifigs store after the store allegedly stole $200,000 (language) worth of LEGO sets from an elderly man. 🎧 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.

    46 min
  4. Jun 4

    CT: Off Campus, Lunch Shaming, and Backrooms

    → Help us improve our podcast! Click here to fill out this three-minute survey. Off Campus is already a frontrunner for teen show of the summer, students are scared to eat in front of their peers, and what the success of Backrooms says about the state of the movies. Slang of the Week - Lida Bida Boda Butt In Other News: Taylor Swift's new song "I Knew It, I Knew You" comes out today and was inspired by an early screening of Toy Story. PlayStation's "State of Play" gaming showcase happened this week, with most of the buzz being around an announcement of a new God of War game where you play as Kratos' wife, Faye, and an extended look at the M-rated Marvel's Wolverine game, coming out in September. Recent releases of UAP footage from the US government have some Christians debating whether these supposed alien visitations could actually represent demonic activity. Indie group Boards of Canada's first album since 2013, Inferno, explores faith, spirituality, and existential dread over eerie electronic beats. A YouTuber known as "Reckless Ben" was arrested for trespassing in his attempt to pursue justice against the Bricks & Minifigs store after the store allegedly stole $200,000 (language) worth of LEGO sets from an elderly man. 🎧 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.

    11 min
  5. May 29

    Roundtable: NBA Playoffs, Magnifica Humanitas, and The Mandalorian and Grogu

    → Help us improve our podcast! Click here to fill out this three-minute survey. Three Big Conversations: The OKC Thunder have become the NBA's favorite villain - 10:00 Pope Leo publishes an AI manifesto - 20:14 The Mandalorian and Grogu had a disappointing first weekend. - 35:50 Song of the Week - "the cure" by Olivia Rodrigo - 3:16 → Click here to read the lyrics → Click here to listen to the song (language) In Other News: - 42:40 Small "dot cakes," baked in cups, and covered in frosting and rainbow nonpareil sprinkles, are going viral. The colorful aesthetic of these cakes is just half of the appeal, with the other part being the satisfying scrape of a spoon being dragged across the top.  A new YPulse report found that 87% of 13- to 24-year-old guys agree with the statement, "I am a gamer," suggesting that online gaming continues to be one of the fastest-growing social spaces for boys and young men. A newly published report from the American Bible Society found that 38% of parents are regularly engaged with the Bible, as opposed to 23% of nonparents. A ton of other interesting statistics are included in the latest chapter of their State of the Bible report, linked here. DIY "cyberdecks" are the latest tech trend on TikTok. Creators are using Raspberry Pi mini computers to build whimsical homemade devices inside of retro purses, Game Boys, or briefcases. Off Campus has become Gen Z's latest #BookTok-adapted TV obsession, landing as Prime Video's biggest debut ever among viewers aged 18-34. Common Sense Media flagged the series for extreme explicit sexual content. 🎧 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.

    47 min
4.9
out of 5
245 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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