Gen Z musician Gracie Abrams releases an album-long apology to her mom, TikTok influencers are promoting injectable weight loss peptides, and what parents should know about Kylie Jenner’s new collaboration with Meta smartglasses. But first:
Slang of the Week: Quiet on the Creek
The phrase “quiet on the creek” is a trending catchphrase with a purposefully unclear meaning. Some TikTokers, like @xiandivyne, have posted videos where it looks like they’re about to explain what the phrase means, but then they pivot to dancing instead. Others in comments sections might say things like, “You know, I would tell you the meaning, but I’ve got to be quiet on the creek.” The phrase originated from a song and video from the rapper Saucy Santana, who seemed to be referencing literal childhood fishing trips and how not to scare away fish. Others are also using the phrase to refer to keeping something, like a new relationship, “on the down low.” (See also: “moving in silence.”)
And now for our three conversations..
1. Nightmare Daughter
What it is: Beloved Gen Z artist Gracie Abrams told Jimmy Fallon that her latest album, Daughter from Hell, included a “decades overdue apology” to her mom.
Why it might flop: Against distorted electric guitar strums, Abrams confesses on her title track that she wants her mother’s “grace,” “sugar”, “patience,” and “goodness.” While Abrams is open about being a “nepo baby” (her dad, J.J. Abrams, is the director and producer behind big hits like Lost and The Force Awakens), she has cemented herself as one of the “pop girlies,” opening for Olivia Rodrigo for her Sour Tour in 2022 and Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour. Both singles she released ahead of the album are on the Billboard Hot 100; fans seem to be enjoying the album, but reviewers are hesitant to give their stamp of approval. Theneedledrop, a popular music reviewer, called it unseasoned and flavorless. Abram’s writing fails to feel as intimate as her peers’, but it’s still going viral on TikTok—which might be enough.
Continue the conversation: What’s your favorite song to listen to right now?
2. Peptides: For the People?
What it is: Researchers have expressed concern over the rise of unregulated injectable peptides, as young people order them off the gray market in pursuit of the perfect body.
What’s powering the surge: Peptides, which are short chains of amino acids that support protein growth in the body, have been present in everything from skincare products to insulin for decades. Weight loss drugs classified as GLP-1s are also peptides. But the use-case claims for certain peptides are now outpacing the clinical research—by a lot. Young people, including teenagers, have started combining peptides, a practice known as “stacking,” even giving the stacks nicknames. The “Wolverine” stack, for example, is a combination to help with muscle recovery, favored by some athletes and men’s health influencers. In 2023, the FDA attempted to regulate the distribution of 17 peptides by reclassifying them, but many influencers began linking to foreign peptide suppliers and encouraging followers to buy syringes off Amazon to self-administer the substances, which some reporters have linked to the trend of “looksmaxxing.”
Continue the conversation: What do you think about the looksmaxxing trend?
3. See You All Summer
What it is: Meta Glasses collaborated with Kylie Jenner on the design for “a new way to see and share your world,” and people are angry about normalizing mass surveillance as a fashion accessory.
Why it’s gone from creepy to chic: Jenner has spoken out about the difficulty of living in the public eye and being hounded by paparazzi. So fans were shocked when she decided to partner with Meta on technology that is famously used to record women in public without their knowledge or consent. While wearable technology has become more normalized over the years, such as with smartwatches and rings, these clearly represent a departure—the “Starfire Kylie Edition” Meta Glasses have built-in cameras, speakers, and artificial intelligence, voiced by Jenner herself.
Let’s translate this one further…
People are incentivized to record others without asking because completely candid responses from others can sometimes turn into viral content. But as Wired (paywall) points out in an article called “The Rise of the Ray-Ban Meta Creep,” pick-up artists are now also filming women without their consent, as they try to flirt with them and then post the results on social media.
But even if the people using the technology have no ill intent, the folks who helped train the AI behind the glasses had to review sexually graphic content recorded by its wearers, according to the BBC.
In her latest video, Taylor Lorenz interviews fashion journalist Amy Odell as they wonder, “Why Smart Glasses Feel Different This Time.” They conclude that the primary reason previous iterations of smart glasses have failed was that they were thinking tech first, fashion second. These are chic, not just because of their trendy oval silhouette, but because they landed Kylie Jenner as a brand ambassador.
Complaints about being recorded unknowingly via the glasses have swirled online, with some deeming Meta’s new product line as “Pervert Glasses.” Meta’s answer has been to add flashing lights to indicate when somebody is recording. In theory, this would help with the whole surveillance thing, but the light is easy to cover up, and some tutorials online already give easy instructions on how to disable it.
Many people online seem to be outspoken against the glasses, but Meta seems to be dominating a booming market. Over seven million pairs of Meta smartglasses are out in the world right now, making up 82% of the global market. Jenner’s endorsement of these spectacles may be a passing trend, or foreshadowing for an even more highly surveilled world.
It can be easy to spiral about the future. As a Gen Zer, I have grown up in a world with a lot of turbulence. I can look back at other generations and see that they also experienced changes and losses of varying degrees—and that fear can be a natural response.
When this anxiety bubbles up, I realize how much I desire certainty—but as believers we are called to a life of trust, not certainty. Called to trust God with ourselves, our families, and the future generation. As you go into the weekend, consider Proverbs 3:5, which says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding,” and trust that God saw all of these headlines before we did.
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:
- If you were given a pair of smartglasses, would you wear them?
- What do you think about wearable technology?
- What is one thing that should never be filmed?
Parenting together,
Jenna Mindel and the Axis Team
In Other News…
- According to the Wall Street Journal, the popularity of Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey is convincing many students to finally read the epic poem that many English teachers couldn’t coax them into reading.
- A wild raccoon in Seattle with a deformed spine has been dubbed “Jimothy,” and has become an inspiration for perseverance in the face of setbacks, with some even getting tattoos (language) of said raccoon.
- Infamous online “manfluencers” Andrew and Tristan Tate were arrested in Miami this Saturday, and await extradition to the U.K. for prosecution on rape and sex trafficking grounds.
- About one-third of people under 35 now live with their parents, according to survey data published by Realtor.com.
- Several members of Spain’s World Cup-winning team, like Torres and Rodri, are publicly crediting God and their Catholic faith for the team’s World Cup victory.
PS: Know someone who could use our conversation starters with their teens? Share the CT with a friend!