The Latest News, Research, and Trends...

At CPYU we are constantly reviewing the latest literature, research and trends that relate to matters of youth culture.  You may find these helpful as you study these issues and try to get a better handle on what it means to be a teenager in the 21st Century.  The newest research is posted regularly on this page.  If you are looking for research relating to a specific topic, please check our News, Research, and Trends topic pages in the navigation menu to the left.

 

Drug Treatment and First Use Age

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration reports that 14% (162,708) of people admitted for drug treatment began using drugs prior to becoming a teenager (up from 12% or 114,462 in 1993), from analysis of the Treatment Episode Data Set.

            http://www.oas.samhsa.gov/2k6/AgeDrugTX/AgeDrugTX.pdf  (4 page pdf file) or

            http://www.samhsa.gov/news/newsreleases/060126_teds.htm

See also: Girl substance use

            http://www.mediacampaign.org/newsroom/press06/020906.html

            See also: Parental alcoholism and young adult substance abuse risk

            http://www.apa.org/releases/alcohol0106.html

See also: Web photos of underage drinking

            http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11234450/  

See also: Methamphetamine articles in the Dec/Jan 2006 issue of Teen Vogue (pp. 176-179) and the March 2006 issue of Teen People (pp. 114-117).

See also: Methamphetamine top illicit drug in emergency room visits

http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/news/20060118/1a_offlede18.art.htm

/Page.aspx?id=88844  (CPYU article on meth)

 

2005 Video Game Sales

The NPD Group reports U.S. video game sales of $10.5 billion in 2005. The top selling video game for 2005 was Madden NFL 2006.

            http://www.npd.com/dynamic/releases/press_060117.html

            See also: PC game sales in 2005 were $953 million, down 14% from $1.1 billion in 2004

            http://www.npd.com/dynamic/releases/press_060117a.html

            See also: Top selling video game software as of February 11, 2006

            http://www.gamesasylum.com/showarticle.php?articleID=4701

            See also: 35% of American parents play video games

            http://www.theesa.com/archives/2006/01/new_study_shows.php

            See also: Embedded ads in video games

            http://www.csmonitor.com/2006/0126/p13s02-stct.html

            See also: Video games influence music sales

            http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory?id=1544716

 

Digital Downloads Rising

The IFPI (International Federation of the Phonographic Industry) reports that global digital music sales (internet and cell phones) in 2005 were $1.1 billion (up from $380 million in 2004), and accounted for 6% of record company revenue. Overall, 420 million songs were downloaded online.

            http://www.ifpi.org/site-content/press/20060119.html

            http://www.ifpi.org/site-content/library/digital-music-report-2006.pdf  (24 page pdf file)

            See also: iTunes rising

            http://www.nielsen-netratings.com/pr/pr_060119.pdf  (3 page pdf file)

            See also: $600 million ringtone sales in 2005

            http://www.usatoday.com/life/music/news/2006-01-25-ringtones_x.htm

            See also: Pop song popularity

            http://www.webmd.com/content/article/118/113043.htm

            See also: Billboard’s Hot 100 Lyrics

            http://usaweekend.com/06_issues/060115/100chart.html

            See also: Teen favored Grammy® nominees

            http://www.harrisinteractive.com/news/allnewsbydate.asp?NewsID=1008

            See also: Actual Grammy® winners!

            http://grammy.org/Grammy_Awards/Annual_Show/48_nominees.aspx

 

Internet Use

Gallup reports that the two most common online activities are checking e-mail and news/weather from a December 2005 survey of 1,013 U.S. adults. For young adults (ages 18-29) the next most common online activities were paying bills (45%), instant messaging (45%), shopping (42%), making travel plans (40%), downloading music (35%), playing games (34%), finding medical advice (29%), and reading blogs (28%).

            http://poll.gallup.com/content/default.aspx?ci=21310  (fee to access)

See also: Christians and technology

            http://www.barna.org/FlexPage.aspx?Page=BarnaUpdateNarrow&BarnaUpdateID=217

            See also: Dateline NBC story exposing online predators

            http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/life/20060215/d_mediamix15.art.htm

            See also: Internet porn ‘tidal wave’ testing parents

            http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/internetprivacy/2006-01-29-porn-protection_x.htm

            See also: MediaWise® parent tutorial for the popular MySpace.com website

            http://www.mediafamily.org/online/index.shtml

            /Page.aspx?id=101385  (CPYU article, “Finding teens online”)

 

TV Viewing and Physical Activity

The February 2006 Journal of Adolescence has a study showing an inverse relationship between physical activity and the amount of time spent watching TV and playing video games, from analysis of longitudinal data from a survey of 4,594 Minnesota 7th and 8th graders conducted between 1998 and 2000.

            http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.adolescence.2005.01.005

 

Super Bowl Ads

Website traffic spikes following Super Bowl XL advertisements were released in a report by comScore Networks.

            http://www.comscore.com/press/release.asp?press=742

            See also: View all of the Super Bowl XL ads at the following websites

            http://video.google.com/superbowl.html  or

            http://www.ifilm.com/superbowl?htv=12

            See also: Top 10 list of pop culture common denominators

            http://www.csmonitor.com/2006/0203/p11s01-algn.html

 

Online Dating

The Pew Internet & American Life Project reports the results of its Online Dating Survey conducted in the fall of 2005 on 3,215 U.S. adults. Overall, 43% of adults (87 million) are single with 26% saying they are in a committed relationship (30% men and 23% women). For those singles not in a committed relationship, a majority (55%) were not looking for a dating partner (42% men and 65% women). Where those who are married or in a committed relationship met: 38% at work or school; 34% through family or friends; 13% at nightclub/bar/café or social gathering; 3% through the internet; and 2% at church.

            http://www.pewinternet.org/pdfs/PIP_Romance_in_America_feb06.pdf  (6 page pdf file report)

See also: Campus sexual harassment

            http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/life/20060125/d_newsexcolharass25.art.htm  and

            http://www.harrisinteractive.com/news/newsletters/k12news/HI_Trends&TudesNews2006_v5_iss02.pdf  

See also: Teen dating abuse

            http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/AmericanFamily/story?id=1534203

            See also: Intimate Partner Violence studies review

            http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/abstract/117/2/e278

 

Teens and the Supernatural

The Barna Group released a report, Ministry to Mosaics: Teens and the Supernatural, which explores the extent of exposure to supernatural themes in mass media, and examines teen attitudes, beliefs and involvement with psychic or witchcraft related activities. The study is based upon cumulative data collected from three national surveys of 4,340 teenagers conducted between 2002 and 2005. Overall, 73% of teens said they have been involved with one or more types of psychic or witchcraft activities (Ouija boards, séance, spell casting, palm reading, etc.).

            http://www.barna.org/FlexPage.aspx?Page=BarnaUpdateNarrow&BarnaUpdateID=216

            See also: Protestant megachurch study

                http://hirr.hartsem.edu/org/faith_megachurches_research.html