Ask Axis: “My 8th grader seems overly materialistic. Will this change?”
Release Date: 12/16/2025
Roundtable: “End of Beginning,” Gen Alpha’s Sushi Obsession, and the Great Meme Reset
Axis Conversations
Three Big Conversations: Stranger Things star Joe Keery’s synthpop - 12:55 for Gen Alpha - 22:46 the - 31:18 Slang of the Week: - 5:16 In Other News: - 39:06 Mr. Beast’s competition show Beast Games is on Amazon Prime this week. The twist this time? Brains versus brawn. Will Mr. Beast commit more war crimes? Tune in to find out. The French parliament a bill that, if passed, would ban social media access for everyone under age fifteen, and ban phones from all schools. TikTok’s New Year trend is for resolutions, making goals feel tangible...
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CT: “End of Beginning,” Gen Alpha’s Sushi Obsession, and the Great Meme Reset
Axis Conversations
Stranger Things star Joe Keery’s synthpop , for Gen Alpha, and the Slang of the Week: In Other News: Mr. Beast’s competition show Beast Games is on Amazon Prime this week. The twist this time? Brains versus brawn. Will Mr. Beast commit more war crimes? Tune in to find out. The French parliament a bill that, if passed, would ban social media access for everyone under age fifteen, and ban phones from all schools. TikTok’s New Year trend is for resolutions, making goals feel tangible and within reach. Now that they’re all back from South Korea’s mandatory military...
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CT: 5 Conversation Starters for 2026
Axis Conversations
We’re ready to dive into 2026 and continue supporting you in ways that matter to you and the teens in your life. As you step into the new year and start thinking about your goals for your family and how to build deeper connections with the next generation, we’ve put together 5 conversation starters you can use to jump-start moments of depth and honesty. CT of the top 20 (Short and sweet) --> --> Roundtable of the top 20 (Here how we picked our favorites) --> --> Become a monthly donor today, join Get your question on Ask Axis! Send in your questions to . For more Axis...
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Ask Axis: “I’m worried about my grandkids’ phone use. What should I do?”
Axis Conversations
"I have two grandchildren, both teenagers, who have had smartphones since before they were 12. I am concerned by some of the behaviors you described in your Smartphone September podcasts. When I pick them up from school, their eyes are glued to their phones as soon as they get in the car and they get annoyed when I ask them questions about their day. Since we are not the parents, we have no control or even influence regarding their cellphone use. Yet we love them and are worried about what they are accessing on their phones. Any thoughts or suggestions?" - John Axis Resource --> ...
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CT: The 20 Biggest Cultural Events of 2025, PART 2: Top 10
Axis Conversations
At the end of every year, we take a few weeks to reset and reflect on everything that happened in culture over the past twelve months. We share our reflections with you in the form of our Top 20 Annual Countdown. This week, the Top 10! After much deliberation (heard in the ) here is the list of the Top 10! 10. 9. 8. 7. 6. 5. 4. 3. 2. 1. Double your impact with 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 . For more Axis resources, go to .
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Roundtable: The 20 Biggest Cultural Events of 2025, PART 2: Top 10
Axis Conversations
At the end of every year, we take a few weeks to reset and reflect on everything that happened in culture over the past twelve months. We share our reflections with you in the form of our Top 20 Annual Countdown. This week, the Top 10! Listen as Evan, CJ, and Irene make their case for the top spot! Double your impact with 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 . For more Axis resources, go to .
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Mike and Becky McNamee on Leading with Kindness as Grandparents
Axis Conversations
Mike and Becky McNamee are the founders of Legacy of Faith, an organization dedicated to hosting retreats for grandparents who seek to leave a lasting spiritual legacy for future generations. Before founding Legacy of Faith, Mike served with the Navigators as General Manager of the Glen Eyrie Conference Center in Colorado Springs. Becky has devoted her life to being a loving wife, homemaker, homeschool mom, and proud Grammy. Together, they are blessed with three married children and six wonderful grandchildren. ---> Learn mor about ---> Double your impact with Every dollar...
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CT: The 20 Biggest Cultural Events of 2025: Top 20-11
Axis Conversations
At the end of every year, we take a few weeks to reset and reflect on everything that happened in culture over the past twelve months. We share our reflections with you in the form of our Top 20 Annual Countdown. This week, you’ll receive 20-11; next week, you’ll get the top ten. After much deliberation (heard in the ) here is the list of the Top 20-11! 20. 19. 18. 17. 16. 15. 14. 13. 12. 11. --> Check out our Conversation Kit on Double your impact with Every dollar you give will be mathched dollar for dollar until the end of 2025! Get your question on Ask Axis!...
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Roundtable: The 20 Biggest Cultural Events of 2025, PART 1: Top 20-11
Axis Conversations
At the end of every year, we take a few weeks to reset and reflect on everything that happened in culture over the past twelve months. We share our reflections with you in the form of our Top 20 Annual Countdown. This week, you’ll receive 20-11; next week, you’ll get the top ten. Listen as Evan, CJ, and Irene discuss their top picks! Moving 10 up and moving 10 down - 0:41 Ranking 20-11 - 27:55 Double your impact with 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 . For more Axis...
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Ask Axis: “My 8th grader seems overly materialistic. Will this change?”
Axis Conversations
“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 --> Scientific Paper --> Book Reference --> Axis Resource...
info_outline“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.