Youth Culture

Youth Culture

Our youth love luxury, they have bad manners; contempt for authority; they show disrespect for elders and love chatter in place of exercise.

Children are now tyrants, not the servants of their households.

They no longer rise when elders enter the room.

They contradict their parents, chatter before company, gobble up their food and tranize their teachers.

They no longer rise when elders enter the room.

They contradict their parents, chatter before company, gobble up their food and tranize their teachers.

- Socrates (470 -399 BC)

Average Youth Participants


Weird

Home SchoolKid


Star WarsFreak Boy


Christian Band Groupie


Facial HairGuy


Super spiritual girl


The IT specialist.


The

“I refuse

to leave”

individual


Overdeveloped Middle School

girl.


TheBible Scholar


The

Catholic School Only Person.


Little Drummer Boy

AKA Rock Star.


The Event Addict.


The hoochie.


Smothered by Mother.


Middle School Cheerleader.


The forwarder.


The EO


FBI Parent Agent.


The Drama Queen.


The

Questioner.


The

All American.


BELOIT COLLEGE'S MINDSET LISTFOR THE CLASS OF 2011


The Soviet Union has never existed and therefore is about as scary as the student union.


They have known only two presidents.


For most of their lives, major U.S. airlines have been bankrupt.


Manuel Noriega has always been in jail in the U.S.


They have grown up getting lost in "big boxes."


There has always been only one Germany.


They have never heard anyone actually "ring it up" on a cash register.


They are wireless, yet always connected.


Thanks to pervasive headphones in the back seat, parents have always been able to speak freely in the front.


A coffee has always taken longer to make than a milkshake.


Smoking has never been permitted on U.S. airlines.


Faux fur has always been a necessary element of style.


The Moral Majority has never needed an organization.


They have never had to distinguish between the St. Louis Cardinals baseball and football teams.


DNA fingerprinting has always been admissible evidence in court.


They grew up pushing their own miniature shopping carts in the supermarket.


They grew up with and have outgrown faxing as a means of communication.


"Google" has always been a verb.


Text messaging is their email.


Milli Vanilli has never had anything to say.


Mr. Rogers, not Walter Cronkite, has always been the most trusted man in America.


Bar codes have always been on everything, from library cards and snail mail to retail items.


Madden has always been a game, not a Superbowl-winning coach.


Phantom of the Opera has always been on Broadway.


"Boogers" candy has always been a favorite for grossing out parents.


There has never been a "skyhook" in the NBA.


Carbon copies are oddities found in their grandparents' attics.


Computerized player pianos have always been tinkling in the lobby.


Non-denominational mega-churches have always been the fastest growing religious organizations in the U.S.


They grew up in mini-vans.


Reality shows have always been on television.


They have no idea why we needed to ask "...can we all get along?”


They have always known that "In the criminal justice system the people have been represented by two separate yet equally important groups.“


They have rarely mailed anything using a stamp.


Affluent troubled teens in Southern California have always been the subjects of television series.


They have always been able to watch wars and revolutions live on television.


They are not aware that "flock of seagulls hair" has nothing to do with birds flying into it.


Green tea has always been marketed for health purposes.


Small white holiday lights have always been in style.


They have always been searching for "Waldo."


Michael Moore has always been showing up uninvited.


Disneyland has always been in Europe and Asia.


Beach volleyball has always been a recognized sport.


Oh, The Places You'll Go by Dr. Seuss has always been the perfect graduation gift.


They have always "dissed" what they don't like.


Available athttp://www.beloit.edu/~pubaff/mindset

www.dscottmiller.com

KEYEVENTS

Discovery of Aids (1981)

Challenger Disaster (1986)

Persian Gulf War I (1991)

Oklahoma City Bombing (1995)

Fall of the Berlin Wall (1989)

Soviet Union Dissolved (1991)

Free Elections in South Africa (1993)

Columbine HS Massacre (1999) Day of Terrorism (9/11, 2001)

Watergate/ Nixon resigns (1973)

Nation’s Bicentennial (1976)

Columbia Disaster (2003) Tsunami/ New Orleans (2005)

Adolescenceis a relationship oriented world.

Adolescenceis a relationship oriented world.seek an illusion of independence from adults.

Adolescenceis a relationship oriented world.seek an illusion of independence from adults.are struggling to establish identity/self-worth.

Adolescenceis a relationship oriented world.seek an illusion of independence from adults.are struggling to establish identity/self-worth.live in an information overload world.

Adolescenceis a relationship oriented world.seek an illusion of independence from adults.are struggling to establish identity/self-worth.live in an information overload world.struggle with the tension between head and heart.

Adolescenceis a relationship oriented world.seek an illusion of independence from adults.are struggling to establish identity/self-worth.live in an information overload world.struggle with the tension between head and heart.are attracted to rebellion and rejection.

Adolescenceis a relationship oriented world.seek an illusion of independence from adults.are struggling to establish identity/self-worth.live in an information overload world.struggle with the tension between head and heart.are attracted to rebellion and rejection. seek an idealistic world.

Adolescenceis a relationship oriented world.seek an illusion of independence from adults.are struggling to establish identity/self-worth.live in an information overload world.struggle with the tension between head and heart.are attracted to rebellion and rejection. seek an idealistic world.are attracted to risk – “Playing with matches

syndrome”


syndrome”desire a world of fun.


syndrome”desire a world of fun.have a large appetite for a world of fair play.

Top Games

• WII SPORTS (for Wii)

Top Games

• GEARS OF WAR (for Xbox 360)

Top Games

• NEW SUPER MARIO BROS. (for Nintendo DS)

Top Games

• LEGEND OF ZELDA: TWILIGHT PRINCESS (for Wii)

Top Games

• RESISTANCE: FALL OF MAN (for PS3)

Top Songs

• “BLEEDING LOVE" by Leona Lewis• “TAKE A BOW" by Rihanna• “LOLLIPO" by Lil Wayne w/ Static Major • “I KISSED A GIRL"

by Katy Perry• “DAMAGED"

by Danity Kane

Where Today’syoung people “are”

Hardwired to Connect

The New Scientific Case for

Authoritative Communities

Commission on Children At Risk

The cause of this crisis of American childhood is….

• A lack of Connectedness

– close connections to other people

– deep connections to moral and spiritual

meaning

Now instead of being about caring for kids or what’s best for kids, they’re often more about what’s best for adults and keeping kids busy. I describe this as “systemic abandonment of the young” by the adults who are culturally charged with caring for kids. If kids don’t fit the pre-ordained boxes that adults control, they end up hurt, abused and left behind.

OMG: How Generation Y is redefining the iPod era

Godly Undecided Godless

• Most diverse generation in history

• Religious youth are more self-aware

• Religious youth are more active in politics and the community

• But, STD’s, jobs, grades come before God

The “Class of 2011” Young Catholic

They have had only one Pope, until very recently!

The Second Vatican Council is as ancient history as the Council of Trent.

Therefore…


They have no memory of the Latin Mass.


Women have always been readers and eucharistic ministers at Mass.


They have no idea what a biretta is.


• 72% say they pray in a typical week.

• 48% attend a worship service at a church

• 35% attend Sunday school

• 33% attend youth group • 32% participate in a

small group• 31% read the Bible

“Unchristian”

• (87%) judgmental

• (85%) hypocritical

• (78%) old-fashioned

• (75%) too involved in politics

Spirituality of Millennial Generation

• Believers, but not necessarily belongers to a particular church


• Believers, but not necessarily belongers to a particular church

• Emphasis on spiritual journey, versus organized religion


• Emphasis on spiritual journey, versus organized religion

• Their experience of Church is critical – meaning of the moment… “How is Jesus alive and meaningful today?”


• Their experience of Church is critical – meaning of the moment… “How is Jesus alive and meaningful today?”

• See Jesus as one who understands my suffering


• See Jesus as one who understands my suffering

• Focus on individual relationship with Jesus



• Focus on discipleship vs. membership




• Desire to know the transcendence / power of God




• Desire for a real and personal experience of faith



• Desire for a real and personal experience of faith

• Use of all of the arts and nature to discover God

Faith Identity

August 29, 2005:

Which best describes you.

Web Survey

Spiritual, but NOT religious

Religious, but NOT spiritual

Religious and Spiritual

NOT spiritual and NOT religious

Don't know

32% 24%

3.3% 9%51% 55%

11% 8 %

2.2% 4 %

National Study onYouth and Religion

This study focused on 13-17 year olds to:

1.Research the shape and influence of religion and spirituality in the lives of U.S. adolescents.

2. Identify effective practices in the religious, moral, and social formation of young people

3. Describe the extent to which young people participate in and benefit from the programs and opportunities that religious denominations are offering to their youth.

Purpose of Study:

Religion has a significant

presence in the lives of many U.S.

teens today.

Finding #1:

Contrary to many popular assumptions and stereotypes, the character of teenage religiosity in the U.S.

is extraordinarily conventional.

Finding #2:

Religious education is failing –

if by that we mean helping people

understand what they believe.

Finding #3:

“Many teenagers know abundant details about the lives of favorite musicians and television stars or about what it takes to get into a good college, but

most are not very clear on who Moses and Jesus were.”

-Dr. Christian Smith

17 year old, white Catholic boy from Wisconsin:

“My religious beliefs, what’s good and bad, like you know, if you kill or rape someone, I think you’re screwed, give up on life ‘cause it’s over.”

Then he added, “I’ll never stop being Catholic, even if I stop believing in God, I’ll still be Catholic.”

15 year old conservative Protestant Hispanic boy from Texas:

“I’m sure God exists and like, helps people and answers their prayers, that’s pretty much it.” [Do you believe in Jesus?] “Ah, yes…I think (little laugh). I don’t know, I don’t know.”

Most U.S. teens have a difficult to impossible time explaining what they believe, what it means, and what the implications of their beliefs are for their lives.

Finding #4:

17 year old mainline Lutheran boy from Colorado:

“Uh, well, I don’t know, um, well, I don’treally know. Being a Lutheran,confirmation was a big thing but I didn’treally know what it was and I still don’t. I really don’t know what beinga Lutheran means.”

“Indeed, it was our distinct sense that for many of the teens we interviewed, our interview was the first time that any adult had ever asked them what they believed and how it mattered in their life.”


Regardless of the denomination, most U.S. teens are “Moralistic Therapeutic Deists”

Finding #5:

15 year old Hispanic conservative Protestant girl from Florida:

“God is like someone who is always there for you, I don’t know, it’s like God is God. He’s just like somebody that’ll always help you go through whatever you’re going through. When I became a Christian I was just praying and it always made me feel better.”

14 year old Jewish girl from Washington:

“I guess for me Judaism is more about how you live your life. Part of the guidelines are like how to live and I guess be happy with who you are, ‘cause if you’re out there helping someone, you’re gonna feel good about yourself, you know?”

14 year old white Catholic boy from Pennsylvania:

“ ‘Cause God made us and if you ask him for something, I believe he gives it to you. Yeah, he hasn’t let me down yet. God is a spirit that grants you anything you want, but not anything bad.”

16 year old white mainline Protestant boy from Texas:

“Well, God is almighty, I guess [yawns]. But I think he’s on vacation right now because of all the crap that’s happening in the world, ‘cause it wasn’t like this back when he was famous.”

- A God exists who created and orders the world.- God wants us to be good and fair.- Central goal of life is to be happy

and feel good about oneself.- God does not need to be

particularly involved in one’s life,except when needed to resolve a problem.

- Good people go to heaven when they die.

The Creed ofMoralistic Therapeutic Deism

Highly religious teens appear to be doing much better in life than less religious teens.

Finding #6:

“At the very least, what appears to be clearly not true is the idea that the

religious teenagers are essentially no different from non-religious teenagers.”


“Catholic teenagers, who represent nearly one-quarter of all U.S. teens, stand out among the U.S. Christian teenagers as consistently scoring lower on most

measures of religiosity.”


U.S. CP MP BP RC J LDS NR

Made a personal commitment to live for God.

55 79 60 74 41 21 69 13

Shared own religious faith with someone not of faith

43 56 51 41 37 58 72 --

Youth Group participation rate (involved in YG/YG available)

52 64 64 44 32*

41 75 --

Only one religion is true 29 46 26 31 19 9 67 5

Okay to practice religions besides own

51 36 59 40 58 78 36 70

Evangelization: “people should leave everyone else alone”

43 27 39 42 55 75 15 66

Okay to pick and choose beliefs without accepting whole faith

46 36 53 34 54 71 31 62

Believers need to be involved in a religious congregation

32 35 27 45 32 20 60 14

* This question was only asked of teens who attend Mass more than twice a year.

Baylor Religion Survey

America’s

Four Gods

• Authoritarian• Benevolent • Critical • Distant

Type B:Benevolent God

Type A:Authoritarian God

Type D:Distant God

Type C:Critical God

Believe that God is Angry

low high

high

Bel

ieve

that

God

is E

ngag

ed


America’s

Four Gods

• Authoritarian 31.4 %• Benevolent 23.0 %• Critical 16.0 %• Distant 24.4 %

America’s

Four Gods

• Authoritarian• Benevolent • Critical • Distant


American Black Protestants’

Four Gods

• Authoritarian 68.0 %• Benevolent 12.0 %• Critical 20.0 %• Distant 0 %


American Catholics’

Four Gods

• Authoritarian 22.6 %• Benevolent 28.2 %• Critical 18.6 %• Distant 29.2 %

The Catholic Church in America

Catholic Identity defined by:

• Attendance at Mass

• How Important is the Church to You Personally

• Locus of Moral Authority

Can you be a GOOD CATHOLIC without this?

Percentage saying yes 1987 1993 1999 2005

Without believing that Jesus physically rose from the dead

Without believing that in the Mass, the bread and wine actually become the body and blood of Jesus

Without donating time and money to help the poor

Without obeying the church hierarchy’s teaching regarding abortion

23 23

38 36

44 52 56 44

44 56 53 44

Can you be a GOOD CATHOLIC without this?

Percentage saying yes 1987 1993 1999 2005

Without donating time and money to help the parish

Without obeying the church hierarchy’s teaching on divorce and remarriage

Without their marriage being approved by the Catholic church

Without obeying the church hierarchy’s teaching on birth control

W/out weekly church attendance

60 58

65 66

51 61 68 67

66 73 72 75

57

57 62

70 7773 76