A look into 2007

Trendwatching.com released their 2007 trend watch list. We should point out that this is a list that they've compiled from not only their own research, but from the masses of people out there who are making their predictions known. Relatively speaking, to-date, they've been pretty on target. Although you maybe tempted to read through this article and leave it at that, we challenge you to step back and begin asking some deeper questions.

1. If the heart of today's generation is set to become "transsumers" (defined as: An obsession with the here and now, an ever-shorter satisfaction span, and a lust to collect as many experiences and stories as possible, is undermining the perceived value (and thus status) of fixed goods and services.)...
— How does that affect the church? Does that affect the church? Should we care?

2. What is at the true heart of the social network sites? Trendwatching declares "In a post-material world, all that’s left to covet is…. other people? From networking sites to buddy lists to meetup.org to a boom in members-only clubs, social status 2.0 is all about who you connect to and who wants to connect to you, tribal-style."
— Will this change the way you are connecting and communicating with your students?

And finally, we've heard from the older generation that all you need to teach is Jesus and relevancy will line-up. On the flip-side, the younger generation seems to declare that you have to both teach Jesus and find ways to speak to the students that mean something to them. So, we ask the simple question...

Can you disregard "relevancy" and simply focus on the heart, compassion and truth of Jesus? Will that alone, reach our students?

55% of teens have created an online profile...somewhere

According to a recent poll released by the Pew Internet & American Life Project, 55% of all teens have created a user profile on some social networking site like MySpace or Facebook. Furthermore, it seems that the older teens, particularly girls, are most likely to use these sites; claiming that it helps them maintain their friendships. The boys, use it for real "networking" and of course, flirting. Who would have guessed?

Webcams, drinking & eating disorders

Teens + Webcams = Trouble? - NYTimes just recently posted an article on the unrestrictive nature of sites like Stickam.com that are virtually impossible to filter content due the the real-time nature of web cams. Moreover, they're reporting that teens are beginning to flock to these sites because of the freedom it gives. Be aware and be in the know. This site, and others, are on the watch list of child safety advocates.

Teens are drinking...alot - The government just released a study revealing that of the teens polled, 45% of them admit to drinking in the past month. 64% of those were bing drinking.

Remember Pro-Ana? - Teens who read about dieting are three times more likely to try risky dieting methods related to anorexia and bulimia (FoxNews.com). Eating disorders don't always look like under-weight bodies. It often hides itself in the minds of those who look "normal." For more information on eating disorders like "constant dieting," take a look at Finding Balance, a Christian organization aimed at helping people who always feel like they need to diet.

Friend or foe?

Tonight at midnight, thousands upon thousands of people all across the country are going to drop $600 for the new PlayStation 3. For those of us who wish we could be there, so sorry. For those of us who value sleep more than the temptation to stare at yet another screen for hours on end, enjoy your sleep. But from our perspective, this highly anticipated release also releases another not-so-highly anticipated problem; our students have yet another reason to disengage from reality and withdrawal from authentic community. Even if you don't agree, the hours spent playing a gaming system, no matter what it's called, is time that we or they will never get back.

So what can you do? Likely nothing. But the worst thing you could do is to ignore it. Our challenge is and will always be, to provide opportunities for these kids to redefine commonalities and community with the people around them. The world offers plenty of opportunity to be isolated and lonely. It's our job to guide our students into community and real communication.

Be proactive, not reactive.