Jim Liebelt's Youth Culture Watch

What's Hot? 03/31/23

Trending Today on Twitter - 3/31/23
 1. #TransDayOfVisibility
2. #fridaymorning
3. #TDOV
4. Kaveh
5. #FursuitFriday
6. #FridayVibes
7. Happy Friyay
8. Good Friday
9. Lindsay Graham
10. Finally Friday
Source: Twitter

Trending Today on Google - 3/31/23
 1. IPL
2. Trump Indictment
3. MLB
4. Red Sox
5. Astros
6. Cubs
7. Dodgers
8. Phillies
9. Celtics
10. Cincinnati Reds
Source: Google

Top Five on Apple Music - 3/31/23
 1. Last Night - Morgan Wallen
2. Favorite Song - Toosii
3. Snooze - SZA
4. Thinkin' Bout Me - Morgan Wallen
5. Kill Bill - SZA
Source: Apple Music

Top Box Office Movies - Weekend of 3/24/23
1. John Wick: Chapter 4
2. Shazam! Fury of the Gods
3. Scream VI
4. Creed III
5. 65
Source: Showtimes.com 

TV Shows Trending on Streaming Services - 3/31/23
 1. The Night Agent - Netflix
2. Yellowjackets - Prime Video
3. Rabbit Hole - Prime Video
4. Succession - HBO Max
5. Yellowstone - Peacock
Source: Reelgood

Trending Today on YouTube - 3/31/23
 1. JISOO
2. SORRY NOT SORRY
3. Metallica: 72 Seasons
4. Perks of going to the Psych Ward
5. WILL THIS DRIFT TRIKE WORK ON GRASS??
Source: YouTube

Netflix Top 5 TV Shows in the U.S. Today - 3/31/23
 1. The Night Agent
2. Love Is Blind
3. Emergency: NYC
4. Shadow and Bone
5. Waco: American Apocalypse
Source: FlixPatrol

Too Much Time Online Might Raise Kids' Odds for Mental Health Woes

The following is excerpted from an online article posted by HealthDay.

Children's screen use could be altering their developing brains as they enter adolescence and increasing their risk for mood disorders, a major new study finds.

Further, the investigators linked some of these mood disorders to actual structural changes occurring in the kids' developing brains, according to the report published online recently in the Journal of Behavioral Addictions.

"There were specific brain mechanisms that in part contributed to this relationship, meaning from a statistical perspective there were brain-based changes occurring over the two-year period that mediated the relationship between screen media activity in the younger children and internalizing concerns relating to depression and anxiety two years later," said senior researcher Dr. Marc Potenza. He is a professor of psychiatry at the Yale School of Medicine's Child Study Center, in New Haven, Conn.

For the study, Potenza and his colleagues analyzed data on more than 5,100 children participating in the ongoing Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study. The data included brain scans, psychological evaluations and behavior tracking on these kids starting from ages 9 to 10.

When the researchers looked at the first round of data for 9- and 10-year-olds, they found a relationship between high levels of screen use and mood disorders, as well as "externalizing" behaviors like aggression and discipline, Potenza said.

They also observed brain structure patterns in those children similar to those associated with underage drinking in previous studies, he added.

They then followed the kids as they aged, to see if the mental health problems persisted and whether they correlated with any further brain changes.

As 11- and 12-year-olds, the kids continued to have depression and anxiety related to heavy screen use, and their brains had changed in ways that would explain some of those mood disorders.

However, the study did not link the same brain changes to heavy screen use and behavior problems like aggression, bullying or defiance.

Source: HealthDay
https://consumer.healthday.com/kids-and-social-media-2659636501.html

Average Family Spends Just 6 Hours Together Each Week

The following is excerpted from an online article posted by StudyFinds.

The typical family spends just six hours together a week, thanks in part to long working hours and time spent diving down the digital device rabbit hole.

According to a survey of 2,000 British parents with children at home, most agree that work shifts hinder family quality time (56 percent). Other factors include homework (29 percent), household chores (27 percent), TV time (21 percent), social media use (20 percent), and after-school activities (19 percent).

When families are at home together, 37 percent admit they don’t set aside specific time to spend with one another. The survey finds half of the respondents think there are too many distractions in the home — particularly devices with screens — which impact quality time.

There’s plenty of research that shows how eating meals together as a family has positive effects on everyone. To that end, a quarter of parents would like to eat more family meals together to encourage conversation, as 42 percent say they struggle to initiate chats with their children. The most popular topics around the table when they do dine together are school (50 percent), TV shows (48 percent), and friendships (46 percent).

Source: StudyFinds
https://studyfinds.org/average-family-spends-6-hours-together/

Teen Overdose Deaths Have Doubled in Three Years. Blame Fentanyl.

The following is excerpted from an online article posted by The Hill.

Teen overdose deaths have doubled in three years, an alarming trend amid a historic decline in drug and alcohol use among high school students.

The main reason is fentanyl. Teens consume the powerful opioid unwittingly, packaged in counterfeit pills tailored to resemble less potent prescription medications. Drug traffickers lace pills with fentanyl to boost the black-market high. Dangerously addictive, fentanyl can be lethal, especially to children experimenting with drugs.

Deaths from drug and alcohol rose from 788 in 2018 to 1755 in 2021 among children ages 15 to 19, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, tabulated by The Hill.

“Fentanyl, it’s just a different beast,” said Dr. Hoover Adger Jr., professor of pediatrics at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. “And it’s so deadly. You have a milligram of fentanyl being equivalent to 50 milligrams of heroin, being equivalent to 100 milligrams of morphine. And right now, fentanyl is creeping into everything.”

Many sources point to fentanyl as the leading cause of teen overdose death. Between 2010 and 2021, the number of adolescent deaths from black-market fentanyl and related synthetics rose more than twenty-fold, from 38 to 884, according to a 2022 study in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Source: The Hill
https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/3917058-teen-overdose-deaths-have-doubled-in-three-years-blame-fentanyl/

Poll Finds Many Parents Unaware of Kids' Exposure to Vaping

The following is excerpted from an online article posted by HealthDay.

Four out of five U.S. parents questioned in a large poll believe their preteen and teenage kids are clear on the risks that electronic cigarettes pose, and only a few think their child actually vapes.

Still, if their child did vape, would parents know? Nearly half of more than 1,300 parents polled said they would.

The findings, experts say, point to a potential disconnect between what parents think is going on and the real deal when it comes to vaping among American youth.

"These findings point to a few ways parents might be off," said poll co-director Sarah Clark.

For one thing, Clark pointed to 2022 data compiled by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that found that 14% of high school students and 3% of middle schoolers had vaped in the prior month.

It's not so easy to tell if your child is among them, cautioned Clark, a research scientist with the Child Health Evaluation and Research Center at the University of Michigan.

She noted, for example, that many parents in her team's poll "appear to think vaping would leave a detectable odor, the way traditional cigarettes do. This is not the case."

Many of the parents also believe "they will find vaping devices or supplies," Clark added. "However, disposable vapes are popular with youth, and likely are thrown away before parents have a chance to find them." Also, a number of them are disguised as pens, phone cases or watches.

"And many parents think their child would tell them if they were vaping, despite a long history of kids trying to hide this type of thing," she said.

The vaping poll is the latest release from the C.S. Mott Children's Hospital National Poll on Children's Health. Conducted in February, it surveyed parents who have at least one child between 11 and 18 years old.

The Mott Poll Report was released on March 20, 2023.

What's Hot? 03/24/23

Trending Today on Twitter - 3/24/23
 1. Selena
2. #FridayFeeling
3. #FridayVibes
4. #fridaymorning
5. Syria
6. #HonkaiStarRail
7. Deutsche Bank
8. 6lack
9. Happy Friyay
10. LoveIsBlind
Source: Twitter

Trending Today on Google - 3/24/23
 1. Clippers
2. John Wick 4
3. Shou Chew
4. Gonzaga
5. Portugal vs Liechteenstein
6. Michigan State Basketball
7. Italy vs England
8. Rhys Hoskins
9. Argentina
10. Mexico
Source: Google

Top Five on Apple Music - 3/24/23
 1. Last Night - Morgan Wallen
2. Favorite Song - Toosii
3. Thinkin' Bout Me - Morgan Wallen
4. Snooze - SZA
5. Kill Bill - SZA
Source: Apple Music

Top Box Office Movies - Weekend of 3/17/23
1. Shazam! Fury of the Gods
2. Scream VI
3. Creed III
4. 65
5. Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania
Source: Showtimes.com 

TV Shows Trending on Streaming Services - 3/24/23
 1. Swarm - Prime Video
2. Lucky Hank - Prime Video
3. Yellowstone - Peacock
4. Luther - Hulu
5. Ted Lasso - Apple TV+
Source: Reelgood

Trending Today on YouTube - 3/24/23
 1. ARCANGEL || BZRP Music Sessions #54
2. Bob Odenkirk Hs a Fire in His Belly While Eating Spicy Wings
3. Apex Legends Sun Squad Collection Event
4. ZAYEL & YoungBoy Never Broke Again - Members Only
5. Yng Lvcas & Peso Pluma - La Bebe (Remix)
Source: YouTube

Netflix Top 5 TV Shows in the U.S. Today - 3/24/23
 1. Waco: American Apocalypse
2. Shadow and Bone
3. You
4. Outer Banks
5. The Glory
Source: FlixPatrol

Researchers Find Strong Adolescent-Parent Relationships Lead to Better Long-Term Health Outcomes in Young Adults

The following is excerpted from an online article posted by ScienceDaily.

Researchers from Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) have found that adolescents who report strong relationships with their parents have better long-term health outcomes. Study findings, published today in JAMA Network Open, suggest that investments in improving parent-adolescent relationships could help improve general health, mental health, and sexual, health while also reducing substance use in young adulthood.

The study utilized data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health. Reseachers tested whether adolescents' reports of specific, measurable characteristics of their relationships with mother- and father figures with whom they live were linked to health outcomes measured 14 years later. The researchers looked at data from more than 15,000 adults who were initially enrolled in the study in the mid-1990s when they were between 12 and 17 years old.

The researchers looked at characteristics such as reported parental warmth, communication, time together, and academic expectations as assessed when the participants were between 12 and 17 years old. When those same participants were 24 to 32 years old, they reported on current levels of stress, depression, optimism, nicotine dependence and substance abuse, and other measures of general health. The study controlled for age, race, ethnicity, family structure, and other factors and separated the data based on relationships with mother and father figures who lived in the home. More than 10,000 participants were analyzed for the study.

The study found that participants who reported higher levels of mother-adolescent and father-adolescent warmth, communication, time together, academic expectations, relationship or communication satisfaction, and inductive discipline reported significantly higher levels of general health in young adulthood. Similarly, they reported significantly higher levels of optimism and romantic relationship quality and lower levels of stress and depressive symptoms as young adults. Higher levels of adolescent-reported parental warmth, time together, and relationship or communication satisfaction were also significantly associated with lower levels of nicotine dependence and substance abuse in young adulthood as well as lower odds of unintended pregnancy.

Source: ScienceDaily
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/03/230321112658.htm

Cannabis Use in Adolescent Years May Create Reproductive Complications in Women

The following is excerpted from an online article posted by MedicalXpress.

In a new study, University of California, Irvine researchers found that exposure to the compound tetrahydrocannabinol (THC, a component of cannabis) at a young age could lead to depleted ovarian follicles and matured eggs in adulthood by nearly 50 percent.

The study, published online in the journal Toxicological Sciences, shows that the use of cannabis earlier in a female's life could have long-term effects on her ability to conceive.

"Given that more and more teenagers and young adults are using cannabis, especially with easier access to the substance, this study's findings are especially important," said senior and corresponding author Dr. Ulrike Luderer, professor of environmental and occupational health at the UCI Program in Public Health. "It is imperative to widely broadcast the consequences of early-life exposure to cannabis on reproductive health in adulthood."

The research team used a mouse model to test their hypothesis that THC can cause adverse health effects in adulthood. They started by injecting THC into immature mice for a period of two weeks and evaluated the effects on their models at different time periods post-injection. They found that the number of healthy ovarian follicles decreased by nearly 50% in primordial follicles, which are the fundamental reproductive units of the ovary and are non-renewable.

Researchers suspect that the dramatic drop in ovarian follicle numbers was caused by accelerated activation of resting follicles, followed by DNA-damage-associated death of follicles at later stages of development.

"Our findings provide unexpected new insights into the long-term impact of THC on reproductive function and aging," said co-author Daniele Piomelli, Ph.D., distinguished professor of anatomy and neurobiology at the UCI School of Medicine. "Our hope is that our findings will motivate teenage girls to make better, more informed decisions about whether or not to ingest cannabis products."

Source: MedicalXpress
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-03-cannabis-adolescent-years-reproductive-complications.html

Nitrous Oxide Use Among Young Adults ‘More Dangerous Than Cocaine,’ Neurologist Warns

The following is excerpted from an online article posted by StudyFinds.

A neurologist says nitrous oxide is “more dangerous than cocaine,” and some teens and young adults may be using over 150 canisters in a single day! The substance is better known as laughing gas, but also referred to “hippie crack” or “nos.” It’s one of the most commonly used drugs among 16 to 24-year-olds in the United Kingdom alone, government officials say.

Dr. David Nicholl, consultant neurologist and clinical lead at City Hospital in Birmingham, says he now sees more patients struggling with side effects of nos than cocaine abuse. He adds the volume of this gas that youngsters are consuming has skyrocketed since the start of the pandemic.

Nitrous oxide, commonly sold in single-use silver canisters, fills up balloons that users then inhale to create a temporary feeling of relaxation and euphoria. It’s a popular recreational “drug” of choice for concertgoers, particularly fans of Grateful Dead-like jam bands like Phish, hence the term “hippie crack.” People can often be found in the parking lots outside shows with nitrous tanks selling balloons to concertgoers, who then suck the gas from the balloon for a quick high.

However, heavy regular use can lead to a range of side-effects which include dizziness, weakness in the legs, and impaired memory.

“I’ve been a neurologist for 21 years and have seen a definite change in how it’s being used, since the pandemic,” Dr. Nicholl says, according to a statement from SWNS.

“Compared to before, now the volumes of nitrous oxide being consumed can be quite terrifying – up to 150 cylinders per day. It’s perceived as safe – and terms like ‘laughing gas’ are especially unhelpful because it makes it sound trivial. But the stuff bought on the street is pure nitrous oxide and not safe for human consumption,” the neurologist warns.

Nicholl explains that nitrous oxide is easily accessible at shopping centers like Walmart and on social media.

Source: StudyFinds
https://studyfinds.org/nitrous-oxide-epidemic/

Study Finds COVID-19 Pandemic Has Long-Lasting Effects on Adolescent Mental Health and Substance Use

The following is excerpted from an online article posted by MedicalXpress.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a long-lasting impact on adolescent mental health and substance use, according to a new population-based study based on survey responses from a nationwide sample of over 64,000 13–18-year-old North American and Icelandic adolescents assessed prior to and up to two years into the pandemic.

The study was conducted by faculty at Columbia University Teachers College and Mailman School of Public Health and a team of Icelandic and other North American clinical, behavioral, and social scientists. The findings are published in The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health.

This new study shows that the negative effect on adolescent mental health has persisted up to two years into the pandemic.

"It is worrisome that we still see an increase in mental health problems among adolescents two years into the pandemic. And this is occurring despite social restrictions having been eased in Iceland," said Thorhildur Halldorsdottir, assistant professor of psychology at Reykjavik University and senior author of the study.

The initial decrease in cigarette smoking and e-cigarette use observed shortly after the arrival of the pandemic was also maintained up to two years into the pandemic. The frequency of adolescent alcohol intoxication, however, appeared to be returning to pre-pandemic levels.

"It is, of course, positive to see that the reduction in cigarette smoking and vaping has been maintained," said Dr. Ingibjorg Eva Thorisdottir, chief data analyst at Planet Youth and lead author of the study. She continued, "We will need to monitor alcohol intoxication among adolescents in years to come, especially given the increase in mental health problems."

Source: MedicalXpress
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-03-covid-pandemic-long-lasting-effects-adolescent.html