MrBeast chains two exes together for 30 days, a new study finds increasing amounts of cognitive decline in young people, and what terms like “sneaky links,” “zombie,” and “breadcrumbing” mean in the Gen Z dating landscape. But first:
Slang of the Week – “Bread”
“Bread,” quite simply, is money. If someone says the phrase “Let’s get this bread,” what they mean is, “Let’s make some money.” In 2007, the rapper Rich Boy popularized this usage of the term “bread” with his song “Let’s Get This Paper.” But the English publication Roman Road London argues that this usage of the word “bread” actually started with Cockney rhyming slang in the 19th century, when the phrase “bread and honey” was used in place of the word “money.” (See also: “dough.”)
And now for our three conversations…
1. In Chains
What it is: In MrBeast’s latest stunt video, two exes were chained together for thirty days to win $250,000. As they say, you’ll never believe what happened next!
Why it’s a lagging revival indicator: Suzie and Josh, the couple in the video, first met at a youth group lock-in, and spent four years in a committed relationship before breaking up. During their time chained together in MrBeast’s social experiment, Suzie is seen starting her day with coffee and her Bible in the mornings. Between an ever-shrinking chain, a lie detector test, and a soundproof privacy chamber where they can share their real feelings with the camera, we see Suzie and Josh navigate conflict, but also forgiveness. The fact that they felt no need to downplay their Christianity throughout the unconventional experience provides a unique witness to the value of faith from an unexpected source.
Continue the conversation: How much prize money would you need to win to be chained to someone for thirty days?
2. Brain Drain
What it is: A newly published ten-year study of 4.5 million Americans found that the number of 18- to 39-year-olds reporting cognitive disability (or “serious difficulty concentrating, remembering, or making decisions”) increased from 5.1 percent in 2013 to 9.7 percent in 2023.
What it means: The study’s authors would not speculate about the cause of said decline, but it shouldn’t be surprising that digital natives would report difficulty concentrating. Very little about life online encourages sustained concentration. It also seems reasonable to think that the impact to decision-making could be connected to the internet’s way of offering millions of search results at every turn, leading to a kind of “paradox of choice.” But scientifically speaking, our culture is still in the middle of the great experiment known as having smartphones. We are changing what it means to be human in ways we may not fully understand for years.
Continue the conversation: Do you think the ability to concentrate is important? Why or why not?
3. The Talking Phase
What it is: Young people are rejecting (suggestive images) the dating language of their parents and instead embracing new terms that are disengaged from the traditional goals of dating.
What parents need to understand: The ‘80s called, and they want their dating dictionary back. Gone are the days when you’d be “stoked” to reach “first base” with your “casanova” or “stone fox” of choice. “Sneaky links” (hookups you’re ashamed of), “zombies” (people who ghost you, then come back) and “breadcrumbing” (giving a love interest tiny bits of attention to lead them on) have entered the chat. It’s not strange—at all—for each generation to create its own way of talking about dating. But so many of these emerging slang words are overly broad, totally ironic, or meant to downplay the value of having feelings at all. When it comes to “defining a relationship,” these terms won’t do it.
Let’s translate this one further…
On November 26, twenty-seven years ago, millions of Americans were tuned into MTV’s Total Request Live, a countdown-style music video show that aired after school on weekdays. (If you’re anything like me, you were not supposed to be watching it, but a quick trigger finger on the remote could hide a multitude of sins.) Those viewers may recall the moment that afternoon when they saw a video premiere from a young woman named Britney Spears for a song called, “…One More Time.”
The lyrics of the song feature Britney begging her boyfriend not to break up with her, insisting instead that he “hit me, baby, one more time.” “…One More Time” was written by a Swede who had an uncanny knack for churning out radio hits. But his grasp on US teen vernacular could have been better. He thought “hit me” meant “call me.” The record label thought the song could be accused of promoting domestic violence. And thus, the most famous title ellipses in pop history was born.
Where was a culture translator when this guy needed one? (As any teen could have told him, the phrase is “hit me up”—though we’ll admit it isn’t as, let’s say… punchy.)
The missed translation didn’t stop the song from becoming an iconic radio hit. But back then, context clues were enough to at least begin to understand what Spears was supposed to be singing. Now, parents have no such luck. Modern dating terms hinge upon accepting the premise that none of them mean anything. You might “catch feelings” but just as quickly, they could dart away. You might be in the “talking phase,” but hey, isn’t everyone? “Girlfriend” and “boyfriend” are seen as quaintly archaic, or as one interviewee put it, a relationship’s “government names.”
In Genesis 1, God creates Adam and Eve. As soon as Adam sees Eve, he utters history’s first love poem, calling her “bone of my bone, and flesh of my flesh.” Then he names her “woman,” an ode to their physical connection. Eve is his future. It’s not exactly ambiguous.
As we disciple the next generation, we must be aware of how commitment today is presented as a murky calculation, surrounded by the algebra of indifference and disconnection. And with that awareness we should also stand up for love, for marriage, and for using real words to describe our real feelings—even if our own dictionaries are a little outdated.
Continue the conversation:
- Can you think of a slang word from the past that you’ve never understood?
- What’s the weirdest word your generation uses to describe having feelings for someone?
- What’s the difference between the “talking phase” and being “exclusive”?
For more context and nuance, check out our Roundtable podcast on Spotify, Apple, Amazon Music, or wherever you listen to podcasts. On your way out, here’s a quick survey of some of the rest of the cultural landscape:
- K-Pop group HUNTR/X, of KPop Demon Hunters fame, will debut as a live band on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon this coming week.
- Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco are officially married, with Vogue unveiling their first set of breathtaking wedding photos. Young people had many opinions about the union.
- JK Rowling sparked controversy after publishing a lengthy essay targeting Emma Watson and Daniel Radcliffe, igniting fresh backlash online.
- Gaming giant Electronic Arts, the studio behind The Sims and Madden, has been acquired in a record-breaking $55 billion deal.
- Taylor Swift’s new album, The Life of a Showgirl, releases today. Look for our review next week!
Parenting together,
Kate Watson and the Axis Team
PS: Know someone who could use our conversation starters with their teens? Share the CT with a friend!