"Our oldest is a 14 year old boy so we're still newbies to parenting teens. Our 8th grader teen seems, in mom and dad's opinion, overly concerned with materialism (things like shoes and iphone model etc). We've heard that this is pretty typical for middle school boys; do teen boys tend to become less materialistic after middle school/once they're in high school? We try to talk with him about materialism not being a healthy priority but it doesn't seem to be sinking in yet." - Sarah

Scientific Paper --> Growing up in a Material World: Age Differences in Materialism

Scientific Paper --> Effects of Materialism on Adolescents'

Book Reference --> The Emotional Lives of Teenagers by Dr. Lisa Damour

Axis Resource --> A Parent's Guide to Teen Identity

This podcast is entirely Q&A based! Send in your questions to ask@axis.org.

Double your impact with End of Year Giving! Every dollar you give will be mathched dollar for dollar until the end of 2025!

And for more resources, go to axis.org.

Three Big Conversations:

1. TikTok's most-used sound in 2025 was a 63-year-old love song - 8:40
2. Netflix and Paramount are in a bidding war for Warner Bros. - 22:38
3. Hollywood might be having a "God moment." - 35:52

Song of the Week: "Santa Tell Me" - by Ariana Grande - 1:02

Click here for the lyrics.

In Other News: - 52:20

Taylor Swift will officially conclude her Eras era today, releasing a six-episode docuseries about her record-setting tour as well as "Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour | The Final Show," both streaming on Disney+. The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York took several big steps toward resolving 1,300 sex abuse claims against clergy. Australia's blanket ban of social media for all users under 16 took effect on Wednesday. Pop-folk artist Noah Kahan is dropping hints about his next album, and considering the popularity of his 2022 release Stick Season, it could be one of the biggest releases of 2026. Pantone named "Cloud Dancer"—a shade of natural white—as its color for 2026, stating that the shade represents "a calming influence in a frenetic society."

Double your impact with End of Year Giving! Every dollar you give will be mathched dollar for dollar until the end of 2025!

Get your question on Ask Axis! Send in your questions to ask@axis.org.

For more Axis resources, go to axis.org.

TikTok's most-used sound in 2025 was a 63-year-old love song, Netflix and Paramount are in a bidding war for Warner Bros., and Hollywood might be having a "God moment."

Song of the Week: "Santa Tell Me" - by Ariana Grande

Click here for the lyrics.

In Other News:

Taylor Swift will officially conclude her Eras era today, releasing a six-episode docuseries about her record-setting tour as well as "Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour | The Final Show," both streaming on Disney+. The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York took several big steps toward resolving 1,300 sex abuse claims against clergy. Australia's blanket ban of social media for all users under 16 took effect on Wednesday. Pop-folk artist Noah Kahan is dropping hints about his next album, and considering the popularity of his 2022 release Stick Season, it could be one of the biggest releases of 2026. Pantone named "Cloud Dancer"—a shade of natural white—as its color for 2026, stating that the shade represents "a calming influence in a frenetic society."

Double your impact with End of Year Giving! Every dollar you give will be mathched dollar for dollar until the end of 2025!

Get your question on Ask Axis! Send in your questions to ask@axis.org.

For more Axis resources, go to axis.org.

Justin Whitmel Earley is the creator of The Common Rule, a program of habits designed to form us in the love of God and neighbor. He is also a mergers and acquisitions lawyer in Richmond, Virginia. Justin and his wife, Lauren, have four sons.

Click here for The Common Rule Youth Edition: Growing Your Faith in a Distracted World.

Become a monthly donor today, join the Table.

Get your question on Ask Axis! Send in your questions to ask@axis.org.

Click to join our Advent for the Record Listening Experience!

For more Axis resources, go to axis.org.

Three Big Conversations:

1. Season 5 of Stranger Things is already Netflix's biggest English-language release. - 09:08
2. 2025 Black Friday shopping cost more but yielded less. - 29:30
3. Making sense of expensive Christmas wish lists for Gen Z and Gen Alpha. - 29:30

Song of the Week - "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" by Brenda Lee - 1:10

In Other News... 53:52

Oxford named "rage bait" as its word of the year and the internet immediately proved their point by fighting about it. It's officially "Wrapped" season as Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, Twitch, and many others put nice packaging on all the user-data they gathered this year. Sabrina Carpenter and the White House have beef. On Monday, the White House social media team posted a video of ICE agents making arrests with Carpenter's song, "Juno" playing in the background. Carpenter responded with disgust. Do you know the band Geese? Some are calling them "Gen Z's Nirvana" and the generation's "first great rock band." On TikTok, the word "genuinely" (language) has now become a comically overused way to emphasize anything and everything.

Click to join our Advent for the Record Listening Experience!

Become a monthly donor today, join the Table.

Get your question on Ask Axis! Send in your questions to ask@axis.org.

For more Axis resources, go to axis.org.

Season 5 of Stranger Things is already Netflix's biggest English-language release, 2025 Black Friday shopping cost more but yielded less, and making sense of expensive Christmas wish lists for Gen Z and Gen Alpha.

Song of the Week - "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" by Brenda Lee

In Other News...

Oxford named "rage bait" as its word of the year and the internet immediately proved their point by fighting about it. It's officially "Wrapped" season as Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, Twitch, and many others put nice packaging on all the user-data they gathered this year. Sabrina Carpenter and the White House have beef. On Monday, the White House social media team posted a video of ICE agents making arrests with Carpenter's song, "Juno" playing in the background. Carpenter responded with disgust. Do you know the band Geese? Some are calling them "Gen Z's Nirvana" and the generation's "first great rock band." On TikTok, the word "genuinely" (language) has now become a comically overused way to emphasize anything and everything.

Click to join our Advent for the Record Listening Experience!

Become a monthly donor today, join the Table.

Get your question on Ask Axis! Send in your questions to ask@axis.org.

For more Axis resources, go to axis.org.

Happy Thanksgiving from everyone here at Axis!

As part of our yearly tradition, instead of our normal issue of the Culture Translator, here are 15 conversation starters to help you make the most of time around the table with family and friends this year. Enjoy!

1. What's something you're really excited about right now?

2. What's the funniest trend or meme you've come across lately?

3. If you could permanently fix one issue in our culture, what would you choose?

4. What's one way you've changed this year?

5. If TEMU offered you $2,000 to represent their brand on your platform, would you do it?

6. What band or musician do you think is seriously overrated? What about underrated?

7. Has anything you've watched, read, or listened to changed you this year? What was it and how did it change you?

8. What's one show that you think more people should watch?

9. Are there any new skills you're trying to develop, or want to try to develop?

10. What's something you're looking forward to in 2026?

11. If you could be a social media influencer known for only one thing, what would that be?

12. Serious question: why do you think so many people started saying "67" this year? Why did that catch on?

13. Does a hot dog count as a sandwich? Why or why not?

14. When the history books mention 2025, what do you think will be included? What won't be?

15. How would you describe your relationship with God at this point in your life?

Click to sign up for our audio Advent experience, for the record—that launches on Sunday, November 30!

Become a monthly donor today, join the Table.

Get your question on Ask Axis! Send in your questions to ask@axis.org.

For more Axis resources, go to axis.org.

"Could you speak to the subject of gossip? As we raise 2 girls this is something my husband and I talk about often. How can we explain the difference between venting and gossip? When does sharing about your day at school cross the line into gossip? How can we teach the idea of being loyal to the absent in the way we speak about others? When friends are gossiping, how can our kids redirect the conversation? How can our words be uplifting like we are called to in the Bible?" - Autumn

Dr. Mayfield is a former pastor, award-winning author, speaker, certified master Christian coach, mental health counselor, and Assistant Professor of Clinical Mental Health Counseling at Colorado Christian University.

To see more of Dr. Mayfield's resources click here.

Click here to check out Dr. Mayfield's podcast - Mental Health Made simple

This podcast is entirely Q&A based! Send in your questions to ask@axis.org.

And for more resources, go to axis.org.