Happy Fourth of July Weekend! Here are three surprising trends in the world the next generation is growing up in…
The “prediction market” site Polymarket is paying influencers to film themselves pretending to win money, Instagram Plus lets users see how many times others rewatched their stories, and Gen Z faves Olivia Rodrigo and Noah Kahan speak out on fans’ bad bathroom habits. But first:
“Earrings” by Malcolm Todd
After a recent boost of popularity on TikTok, the 2024 song “Earrings” by Malcolm Todd took the #1 spot on Spotify’s Daily Top Songs USA chart. The lyrics feature suggestive imagery around how a man lost his earrings at a previous girlfriend’s house, and how now he doesn’t know how to ask for them back because the relationship ended. The song’s driving synth beat and lyrics about second-guessing feel reminiscent of the song “Bad Habit” by Steve Lacy (one of our Song of the Week picks from 2022). For the lyrics to “Earrings,” click here; for the lyric video, click here.
And now for our three conversations..
1. Betting on Scandal
What it is: An investigation by the Wall Street Journal claims that prediction market website Polymarket has been exaggerating and hyping up the odds of winning through (often undisclosed) partnerships with influencers.
Why it relates to teens: The WSJ claims that Polymarket spoofed a version of their website that would show (fake) wins onscreen, allowing influencers to film themselves appearing to win money. If you’re unfamiliar, Polymarket (and its competitor Kalshi) are “prediction markets.” Essentially, they’re gambling websites that present themselves like a stock market for anything and everything that might happen. Do you think Taylor Swift will get married in New York? Well, you can buy “stock” that says she will (or won’t). Just like in sports betting, these websites claim that you can win big by having more knowledge or better predictive power, and they often aggressively chase after a market of young men. In fact, Common Sense Media reported that over one-third of boys aged 11-17 have gambled in the last year.
Continue the conversation: How do you think the popularity of gambling and “prediction markets” will affect society?
2. Instagram Minus
What it is: For $3.99 a month, Instagram Plus will give users the ability to look at others’ stories without the app telling them, as well as the ability to see how many times others have (re)watched users’ own stories.
Why it’s alarming: The announcement referred to Instagram Plus as “More of What You Love,” and if what people love is spending more time on their phone, spiraling, and overanalyzing relationships, then Instagram nailed it. Without the subscription, you could see if somebody viewed your story (a post that disappears after 24 hours), but not how many times; now you can. This can naturally create stress, leaving teens thinking, why did my friend view my story 20 times? Did they like my post, or are they making fun of me behind my back? As The Atlantic put it, “Instagram Plus is social media’s newest low—a company preying on our most pathetic impulses, for the price of a small iced coffee.”
Continue the conversation: If you could change one thing about Instagram, what would it be?
3. Front Row Seats
What it is: Some of Gen Z’s biggest artists are opening up about their fans’ strange concert behavior: wearing diapers so they don’t lose their front-row spot because of a need to use the restroom.
Why it’s the weirdest sign of devotion: In an interview with KISS FM UK, musician Olivia Rodrigo said, “I have been to certain concerts and certain festivals where people wear diapers so that they can be front row of the show. And that’s been an experience as a performer that I have smelled.” And folk musician Noah Kahan recently pleaded with his fans to promise to use the bathroom during his concert. This behavior isn’t new—as some festival-goers in the 90s or any Times Square ball-drop attendee can attest—but it is interesting to see how far Gen Z is willing to go to make sure they get a front-row seat.
Let’s translate this one further…
In an article about devotion and the death of concert etiquette, Lauren Boisvert pointed out that social media today fosters unhealthy parasocial relationships with musicians, writing, “Apparently, camping outside of a venue isn’t enough anymore, and there seem to be no limits to how far diehard fans will go.”
The nature of parasocial relationships today might help to explain why.
According to Merriam-Webster, the term “parasocial” refers to a one-sided emotional connection with someone whom one does not know personally. This is the way that my generation tends to relate to influencers, celebrities, and fictional characters, and being “too parasocial” is a common complaint about Gen Z, by Gen Z. As one commenter on Rodrigo’s interview with KISS FM UK put it, “That is so sad and parasocial 😭😭😭 people would rather soil themselves than give up their front row seats.”
The real question at the heart of Olivia Rodrigo and Noah Kahan’s complaints is this: is there anyone or anything you are so devoted to that you would do anything—and we mean anything—not to miss out on it? Is there anything you could get so caught up in that you would be unwilling to miss a single moment—even at the cost of your own dignity?
Idolizing the rich, talented, and powerful has been a temptation across human history, and in some ways, this is just another version of that. Scripture tells us to refuse idol worship, not just because God is worthy of our praise, but because it spiritually deforms us to project our desire for union with the Sacred onto another mortal being. As it says in Jonah 2:8, “Those who cling to worthless idols turn away from God’s love for them.”
But the nature of parasocial relationships can also provide a window into what reverence and worship toward God should actually look like: an undignified devotion to our Beloved.
For more context and nuance, check out our Roundtable podcast on Spotify, Apple, YouTube, or wherever you listen to podcasts. In the meantime, here are three questions to help you continue the conversation with your teens:
- Is there a concert you would wear a diaper for?
- If you created your own music festival, who would perform?
- What is the most embarrassing thing you have witnessed another person do?
Parenting together,
Jenna Mindel and the Axis Team
In Other News…
- Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are renting out Madison Square Garden this Fourth of July weekend. While they might be reliving the Knicks’ miraculous NBA Finals victory, it’s more likely to be related to her wedding.
- Whether shifting trends in moviegoers’ tastes or continued superhero fatigue are to blame, Supergirl seems to be a miss at the box office this summer.
- Viewership is down significantly for season 2 of the live-action Avatar: The Last Airbender, and it’s far from the only show that seems to be losing viewer interest on Netflix.
- Sony announced that they are ending production of physical discs for PlayStation games in 2028, a clear marker of consumer preferences and another solemn ring in the death knell of physical media.
- WNBA star Sophie Cunningham went viral after defiantly pointing at opponent DeWanna Bonner for almost half a minute. Mature? Not really. Internet meme fodder? Absolutely.
PS: Know someone who could use our conversation starters with their teens? Share the CT with a friend!