Trade School, Fiber vs. Protein, and Grok Deepfakes

Gen Z heads to trade school en masse, fiber is the new protein, and the controversy around Grok’s creation of deepfake images. But first: 

Slang of the Week: Choppelganger 

A hybrid of two words, choppelganger combines the slang term “chopped” with “doppelganger.” If someone is “chopped,” it means they’re unattractive or undesirable (a definition you can find in our updated Parent Guide to Teen Slang!), and a doppelganger is someone with an uncanny resemblance to someone else. Put together, choppelganger basically means someone who looks like someone else but is uglier, like a cheap knock-off. So fathers, if someone calls you Brad Pitt’s choppelganger, it might not be a compliment. 

And now for our three conversations..

1. Trading Up

What it is: Gen Z is opting for trade schools and apprenticeships rather than the high school-to-college white-collar path. Are toolbelts the new laptops?
What’s behind the trend: You know all that hand-wringing about AI coming to take our jobs? Gen Z might already have the tools to fix it. According to Resume Builder, 42% of Gen Zers are enrolled in trade schools, including 37% with a college degree. After watching tuition skyrocket while many jobs remain out of reach, it’s valid to question whether college is worth it at all—and 51% of Gen Zers now say it isn’t. Trades offer something college doesn’t: the chance to “earn while you learn,” gain benefits through apprenticeships, and master an in-demand skill that can’t be automated away. ChatGPT might be able to handle the payroll, but it still can’t fix a leaky pipe. (By the way: This story was reported and written by our friends at The Pour Over, the Christ-first news resource. We recommend their free newsletter to stay current on the news cycle—sign up here.)
Continue the conversation: If you had to build or fix something for a living, what would you choose?

2. Fibermaxxing is in, protein is out 

What it is: We have entered late-stage protein; just when seemingly everything (even Pop-Tarts) was being made to maximize protein, fiber stepped into the spotlight. 

What people are saying: They’re sick of the protein propaganda. Quick protein-filled snacks, once consumed primarily by gym bros and people who forgot to eat breakfast, have exploded in popularity over the last few years, as part of a culture-wide protein fad that felt like it would last forever. Ice cream, waffles, cookies, cereal—basically any packaged food was liable to make the inclusion of protein one of its main marketing messages (or to release protein versions of standard products—for example, the Protein Latté at Dutch Bros). But make way, a new bombshell has entered the villa (and FitnessTok feeds): fiber. She helps keep you regular, keeps your gut healthy, and keeps you full longer. Fiber probably belonged alongside increased protein intake, all along—which is a good reminder of how nutritionists on TikTok don’t always represent a balanced approach.
Continue the conversation: What food fad are you glad is over?

3. When safety testing becomes illegal 

What it is: A recent AI controversy exposed a problem most of us probably should have seen coming. The laws meant to protect people from sexual exploitation are also making it harder for companies to prevent it.

Why it’s disturbing: After Grok rolled out new image and video tools, users quickly began using them to strip or sexualize photos of real people and real children without consent. The “digital undressing” scandal is horrifying on its own. But underneath it is a stranger and more unsettling issue. Laws in the United States treat any creation or even the possession of child sexual abuse material as a serious felony. That matters. But it also means AI companies cannot safely test whether their own systems can be tricked into producing it. If a safety team succeeds in triggering illegal output, they themselves could face prosecution.

Let’s translate this one further…

Every time a story like this comes out, I feel two things at once. Bone-deep horror and the urge to sell everything, pack up my family, and get off the grid. 

I’m kidding. Sort of.

Remember Mean Girls? That scene where someone plastered fake pictures of Cady Heron all over the school? Back then, you needed scissors, a copier, and a dirty magazine to cause that kind of damage. Now, all it takes is one image, AI, and suddenly, a child becomes the target of something devastating.

I used to think that people who never shared their kids’ faces online were being a bit overprotective. I naively thought making your account private was good enough. But in the last couple of years, the gravity of that decision has really hit me.

Now, I can’t help but think of my own children existing in a world where their images can be sexualized and spread without their consent. One photo from a school website, a sports team, or even my private Instagram account can be turned into something that could haunt them for the rest of their lives. I wish the fix were as easy as scrubbing the internet of everything I’ve ever posted, but I know it’s already too late. 

From the beginning, the Bible has said we are image-bearers of God. Our bodies are sacred reflections of the creator. When technology turns people into something to be devoured, it doesn’t only cross a moral line; it shatters something deeper. It’s a kind of spiritual violence.

Jesus was clear about how seriously God takes harm done to children. When the disciples tried to send children away, Jesus said, “Let the children alone, and do not hinder them from coming to Me,” affirming that the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these (Matthew 19:13-14). 

So yes, I joke about going off the grid because the horror is almost too much for me to bear. But the truth is, we can’t look away. Not parents. Not leaders. Not lawmakers. Not the people building this tech. We need better laws. Smarter safeguards. And the guts to say “no” when something is harmful, even if it’s profitable. Standing between children and systems that can turn them into explicit content is not optional. 

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: 

Parenting together,

Irene and the Axis Team

In Other News…

1. Harry Styles just dropped a mysterious website called WeBelongTogether.co filled with crowd footage and the words “We belong together,” and fans are losing their minds trying to decode what it means. 
2. The year in anime is kicking off with a bang, with new episodes of popular on-going shows like Jujutsu Keisen, Freiren: Beyond Journey’s End, Fire Force, and premieres of highly anticipated newcomers like Sentenced to Be a Hero.
3. The Golden Globes awards declared KPop Demon Hunters 2025’s best animated film, and Gen Z favorite Timothée Chalamet won best actor for his turn in Marty Supreme. 
4. Survey data from Talker Research found that 63% of Gen Z now intentionally carves out screen-free windows in their days, a higher percentage than any other generation.
5. Popular comedian and influencer Druski has been bouncing around the internet this week because of his skit poking fun at (or perhaps critiquing) the over-the-top production and performative pastors of some mega-churches.

Correction: In the January 9 issue of the CT, we represented sushi as raw fish, itself. Raw fish is sashimi; sushi is the specific way of preparing rice, accompanied by proteins including vegetables. The team regrets the error and is grateful to the eagle-eyed reader who pointed out the distinction!

PS: Know someone who could use our conversation starters with their teens? Share the CT with a friend