The new Frankenstein movie hits theaters, a deep-dive into the pornography-obsessed subculture known as “gooning,” and why high-potency marijuana use is landing some users in the ER. But first:
Song of the Week “The Fate of Ophelia” – Taylor Swift
As the dust settles after the release of The Life of the Showgirl, the album’s breakout song seems to be “The Fate of Ophelia” as it remains at the top of Billboard’s Hot 100 as well as Spotify’s Top 50. While Taylor Swift’s interpretation of Shakespeare’s doomed damsel has been criticized, it doesn’t seem like Swift’s, ahem, “adaptation” of the story of Ophelia has hurt the song’s popularity. What has definitely helped is the song’s catchy chorus melody and Swift’s knack for lyrics that connect with her audience. If you want to read those lyrics, you can here.
And now for our three conversations..
1. Frankenstein’s Monster
What it is: Guillermo del Toro’s R-rated Frankenstein adaptation is out in select theaters, and is coming to Netflix on November 7th.
Why it’s eternally relevant: Starring Gen Z favorites like Oscar Isaac, Jacob Elordi, and modern horror staple Mia Goth, Frankenstein explores many themes from Mary Shelley’s original novel. It’s a story that wrestles with questions of life and death, generational trauma, fatherhood, and the hubris of science. But the most timeless theme of Frankenstein is the relationship between creator and creation, as Victor Frankenstein chooses to reject and eventually comes to understand his creation. While it’s definitely not a perfect mirror (if one at all) of the story of the Bible, it does provide a gateway to conversations about the way God did not reject his creation. Parents should know the movie has graphic violence and some brief nudity.
Continue the conversation: If you were God, how would you respond to humanity?
2. An Empty Pursuit
What it is: What it is: A truly grim article in Harper’s explores a pornography-obsessed subculture known as “gooners.” (Trigger warning: our summary, but especially the article itself, includes references to disturbing sexual themes.)
What the article reveals: Many have written about how porn warps the expectations users have for relationships; this article demonstrates that, for young men in particular, pornography is often willingly embraced as a complete replacement for human connection. These “pornosexuals” build rooms (aka “gooncaves”) with multiple screens for the sole purpose of consuming as much porn as possible, abdicating responsibility to orient a majority of their lives around it. The term “gooning” refers to a form of prolonged masturbation, the goal of which is not orgasm but the pursuit of the so-called “goon state,” which is compared to a form of advanced meditation. Woven throughout this subculture is also conscious self-degradation; as the Harper’s article points out, “ruin your mind,” “go deeper,” and “give up on life” are embraced as the movement’s rallying cries. Many young men and women are trapped in this spiritual prison, convinced there is nothing better to live for. Who will show them the way out?
For help addressing this topic: Listen to this episode of Ask Axis, then check out Fight the New Drug for teens and Pure Desire for adults.
Continue the conversation: Why do you think someone would orient their life around porn?
3. Scary High
What it is: As weed becomes part of everyday life for many teens and young adults, doctors are seeing a painful side effect they didn’t expect: Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome (CHS).
Why it’s alarming: Many teens see marijuana as safe, especially with how commonplace (and in many states, legal) use of it has become. But higher-strength products and daily use are sending more young people to the ER with painful side effects that doctors are only beginning to understand. In an article by The Free Press, emergency medicine doctor Dr. Chris Colwell said, “There’s no question that as higher potency products have been available, incidents of CHS in emergency departments have gone up.” But even apart from the potential side effects of CHS, what may start out as “stress relief” can quietly turn into dependence—and for Christians, that’s not only a health issue, it’s also a heart issue. The comfort we reach for most easily can end up taking the place of the comfort only Jesus can give.
Let’s translate this one further…
I was eleven, a tangled-haired wild child happily claiming “tomboy” as my identity, and you could find me and my friends at the creek’s edge nearly every day. One afternoon, when climbing the rocks behind our neighborhood, I stumbled upon my brother and his friends passing around a joint. I didn’t entirely understand what I was seeing, but I knew it was part of what was changing my brother.
He was fourteen, just three years older, but already felt a lifetime away. Before we moved from South Africa to the United States, he was a competitive soccer player with incredible promise, confidence, and charisma. But here, his accent, along with him simply being “different,” had made him a target for bullying. Kids mocked him into isolation, and teachers labeled him lazy. The only people who didn’t make him feel like an outsider were the ones already numbing their own pain.
He wasn’t chasing a high. He was chasing belonging.
That same ache runs deep in teen culture today. Behind the rise in anxiety, depression, and substance use is a generation desperate to feel accepted and understood. For many, drugs and alcohol aren’t motivated by rebellion, but a longing for relief. These substances can offer the illusion of connection and calm, even if it’s just for a moment.
But that belonging is fragile. The peace it promises fades fast. The Bible describes a different kind of belonging—one that doesn’t depend on being good enough, cool enough, or never breaking down: “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted,” we are told in Psalm 34:18.
The world tells teens to find peace by escaping their pain. Jesus offers peace by entering it with them. The world offers ways to forget our pain. Jesus offers a way to live through it and promises that we do not have to do it alone.
For more context and nuance, check out our Roundtable podcast on Spotify, Apple, Amazon Music, or wherever you listen to podcasts. In the meantime, here are three questions to help you continue the conversation with your teens:
- If something is legal or “normal” does that make it safer to use?
- Do you think that using something to feel better is always wrong or does it depend on what we turn to?
- What’s the difference between feeling peace and just feeling numb?
Parenting together,
Irene Tucker and the Axis Team
PS: On your way out, here’s a quick survey of some of the rest of the cultural landscape:
- For the first time since 1990, there are no rap songs on the Billboard Top 40—marking the end of a 35-year streak.
- K-pop sensation BTS will end their three-year hiatus next year, embarking on a tour and releasing new music.
- A high school teacher went viral with a post on TikTok that showed the extreme way students reacted to his instruction to write a five-sentence paragraph.
- The as-yet-unidentified jewelry robbers who pulled off a heist at the Louvre were the topic of this week’s social media fascination.
- YouTube is adding more content restrictions to better protect minors from encountering two types of content: online gambling and video games that depict graphic violence.
Know someone who could use our conversation starters with their teens? Share the CT with a friend!