19-year-old Kane Parsons signed on to direct a horror movie for A24 based off his YouTube series “The Backrooms,” AI-generated ASMR videos of people cutting glass fruit began trending on social media, TikTok got another 90-day extension, the third and final season of Squid Game was announced for next Friday (June 27), and our newest episode of The Conversation Starter gave some advice for those who can’t seem to quit doomscrolling.
But here’s what we’re focused on this week:
Slang of the Week – Blackpill
The term “blackpill” originated in incel (involuntary celibate) communities, and it refers to a sense of fatalism about romantic relationships, especially for those who aren’t conventionally attractive. To take the “blackpill” (a reference to the iconic colored pills from The Matrix) is to embrace the idea that you’ll never achieve romantic success no matter what you do, representing a fatalistic and conspiratorial view of the world. The “blackpill” philosophy preys upon the insecurities of hurting and lonely people. And while “blackpill” isn’t exactly a new slang term, the ideology is at the root of online incel communities, recently highlighted by the Netflix show Adolescence.
And now for our three conversations…
1. Summer Staycation
What it is: Summer can come with new opportunities for intentional conversations with our teens—but those opportunities don’t always come easy.
How to adapt: In her aptly titled article, “No, Your Teen Doesn’t Hate You. It’s Just Summer,” psychologist Lisa Damour shares four frameworks for making the most out of time with teens this season. She advises that deflection from teens during attempts at conversation doesn’t necessarily mean disregard, that teens might complain at home because they’ve kept their frustrations to themselves throughout the rest of the day, and that teenagers are still trying to figure out who they are. Damour encourages readers not to take it personally when teens (inevitably) need alone time: “[T]eenagers are charged with the impossible project of becoming independent while still sleeping under our roofs. To accomplish this paradoxical task, they distance themselves psychologically in order to prepare to part physically.” Embracing, as best we can, this natural evolution in our kids’ growth can pave the way to new bonding opportunities.
Continue the conversation: What’s one thing we can do to make our conversations better?
2. A Cold One
What it is: “Fridge cigs” are now some teens’ favorite way to take the edge off.
Why it’s not as scary as it sounds: A “fridge cig” doesn’t have any nicotine in it. In fact, it isn’t a cigarette at all—it’s a Diet Coke, chilled to perfection and sipped straight out of the can. Coca-Cola products, in general, have become extremely popular with young people, and now some TikTokers have been coming up with a bevy of tobacco-product inspired nicknames based on the type of cola being consumed. According to some, regular Coke in a glass bottle is a “cigar,” and a Coke Zero is akin to American Spirit cigarettes. As Eve Upton-Clark put it in Fast Company, “In a world full of prebiotic soda and protein water, sometimes all you really want is a crispy “fridge cigarette” to take the edge off.” As far as vices go, Diet Coke barely ranks—and it’s way better than mindlessly trawling on YouTube to de-stress.
Continue the conversation: What’s your favorite novelty drink?
3. Artificial Wisdom
What it is: Some ChatGPT users now believe they’re speaking with spirits.
Why it’s unsettling: A New York Times article shared the stories of people who became emotionally entangled with AI—convinced it was offering companionship, secret knowledge, and even spiritual insight. Part of the problem is how convincing talking to ChatGPT can feel. It doesn’t “know” anything but it can echo our thoughts, wounds, and desires with uncanny precision. A recent reflection on St. Augustine’s De Doctrina Christiana compares the experiences of these AI users to how demons deceive: not through producing misleading signs directly but through encouraging observers’ mistaken interpretation of what they see. AI works similarly: it mimics meaning, and we supply the rest. AI may be a tool we can use—but it is not a voice we can trust.
Let’s translate this one further…
I’ve already seen how easily we turn to tools like ChatGPT in our daily lives to speed up work, find answers, and organize chaos. It’s fast, accessible, and feels helpful. But what happens when these tools stop being tools and start becoming companions?
It feels like AI is quickly reshaping the world our kids will inherit, which maybe isn’t surprising, since we live in a culture that confuses convenience with care. I worry that my five children are growing up in a world where AI might offer them the illusion of wisdom, without any of the substance—always ready to say what they want to hear but never what they need to hear.
When my kids are hurting, lonely, or confused, I want them to know that the answer isn’t going to be found in cold comfort from a robot proxy, but rather from the living Word of God, the quiet, constant voice of the Holy Spirit, and the real people in their lives who love them enough to offer them the truth with grace.
Hebrews 4:12 tells us that “The word of God is alive and active.” AI can pull from everything the internet has ever said, but it can’t fit that description. Only God speaks the words that can transform a soul.
That’s why I’m committed to helping my kids see the difference, and reminding myself, even in my exhaustion, to wait for the voice that doesn’t flatter, but rescues.
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 spark conversation with your teens:
- When something “feels true,” how do you test if it really is?
- When you are having a hard day, who or what makes you feel understood?
- Have you ever used any version of AI to help you through something challenging?
PS: Know someone who could use our conversation starters with their teens? Share the CT with a friend!