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. But first: 

Slang of the Week: “NPC”

NPC refers to a “non-player character” in a video game. Basically, it is a short way to refer to a background character. In open world games like Grand Theft Auto, NPCs might take the form of shopkeepers, pedestrians, or drivers. If you go up and talk to them, they may have a script, or they may not respond at all. A handful of years ago, the short-lived trend of “NPC Streamers” brought the term to the forefront, where creators would livestream for hours a day, saying only canned responses and pretending to be an NPC. For teens and online commenters, the term “NPC” has evolved to refer to any person who appears to be on autopilot or lacking critical thinking skills.

And now for our three conversations..

1. JUST&TMARRIED

What it is: Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce were married on Friday, July 3, before 1,000 guests at Madison Square Garden in the most anticipated nuptials of the year.

Why Adam Sandler was there: The 14-time Grammy Award-winning singer has penned dozens of lyrics over the years about her desire for marriage—and her fear that it might never happen. So when she announced her engagement to Kelce last August, Swifties, understandably, lost their minds. A similar phenomenon occurred with her wedding. The event was simultaneously staged as private (NDAs were attached to all wedding invites, and phones were banned) and public (during one of the busiest travel weekends of the summer and hosted in a famous arena in the biggest city in the U.S.). Adam Sandler officiated, and the pair was decked out in Christian Dior, with a theme (paywall) of “garden inside the Garden,” and it seems like every A-Lister in NYC and LA was invited. Some fans were shocked (paywall) or dismayed by the spectacle, while others weren’t. After all, hasn’t her whole career been a romantic spectacle, making this wedding the logical grand finale? (For more on Swift and how to talk to teens about her, check out our recently updated Parent Guide to Taylor Swift!)

Continue the conversation: What is a wedding for?

2. Churned to Perfection

What it is: Butter is the new black—according to moms on TikTok, who are referring to a spontaneous, low-stakes parenting style as the “90s butter mom” sensibility. 

Why it’s summing up the summer: The term “butter moms” was minted in response to the viral “almond mom,” a term for moms who grew up fixated on small portions, who were now passing on disordered eating patterns to their kids. A “butter mom” is positioned as the opposite of that, infusing life with flavor and encouraging you to take a second helping. There are currently thousands of posts on TikTok diving into the trend, and the Butter Mom has become one of the main aspirational characters of the summer—teens wish they had one, and moms want to be one. All this has spawned quite the response, including #buttermom recipes, how-tos, life hacks, ASMR content, and more. 

Continue the conversation: Why are people so obsessed with the 90s right now? 

3. Ask Me Anything

What it is: A new study from Barna and Christ in Youth explores the complicated relationship that Christian teens have with AI.  

What it uncovered: The 1,500-person study asked teens about how engaged they were in the following categories: spiritual practices, evangelism, service, faith integration, a sense of belonging, and a perceived calling to ministry or missions. Those who showed engagement in at least five of these areas were labeled “Faith-Activated” in the study. These are young people who tend to see faith as a central, crucial part of their lives. Then the survey revealed this: “Faith-Activated teens are nearly twice as likely as all teens to trust AI on multiple measures—and to prefer its advice to that of a real person.” Said differently, the teens for whom faith was most important were almost twice as likely to see AI as a trustworthy source of information. Correlation isn’t always causation, but could there be something about being an engaged Christian that makes anonymous, AI-generated answers seem more compelling than they might for the average young person? 

Let’s translate this one further…

My first thought when I saw this data point was that it probably had something to do with teens not wanting to admit that they’re wrestling with doubts and questions. In environments where knowing the right answer is rewarded, it might feel like a failure to appear not to know and agree with a particular perspective. A conversation with AI might feel like a safer place to be honest. 

But another part of this study explicitly reports that seven out of ten Faith-Activated teens agree with the statements, “I can be honest about my questions or doubts in youth group” and “My youth group challenges me to think deeply about theology and scripture.”

Of course, certain categories of doubt may feel more acceptable in public spaces. An abstract question about why God allows suffering could feel easier to bring up than a personal question about, say, same-sex attraction. 

It’s also possible that part of the draw to AI might have to do with the nature of faith itself. Being a Christian involves grappling with things that none of us totally understand—things about which mere mortals will sometimes have to say, “Only God knows.” As Hebrews 11:1 puts it, “Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” But AI will sometimes try to spin up a synthesis of various theologians and Bible verses (and/or Reddit posts) in a way that might feel like it scratches the truth itch. 

And yet, maybe the survey’s questions don’t reveal an either/or approach—even when 41% of Faith-Activated Christians agreed that “AI usually gives better answers than people do.” Maybe the reality is that, quite simply, Gen Z and Gen Alpha care about truth, and they’re asking everyone and everything—artificial intelligence and people with actual intelligence—to help find the answer. 

This survey encourages leaders to reflect on what might make AI feel safer than the adults in teens’ lives, which is important. But one of the things that human beings have is something AI never will: the understanding that, ultimately, questions aren’t what need answers; the people behind the questions do. 

For more context and nuance, check out our Roundtable podcast on Spotify, Apple, our brand new YouTube channel, or wherever you listen to podcasts. In the meantime, here are three questions to help you continue the conversation with your teens: 

Parenting together,

Evan Barber and the Axis Team

In Other News…

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.”
5. 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.

PS: Know someone who could use our conversation starters with their teens? Share the CT with a friend!