But for our latest Rewind, we dipped a little deeper into the cinematic archives and pulled out O Brother, Where Art Thou?, an oddly jaunty gem from the Coen Brothers (Joel and Ethan, perhaps best known for bleak Oscar Best Picture winners Fargo and No Country for Old Men).

Bret Eckelberry and I sit down to talk about this deep South homage to Homer’s Odyssey, its super rich spiritual themes and why it’s just a little bit like The Wizard of Oz. Really. Take a look:

The post O Brother, Where Art Thou? – Plugged In Rewind appeared first on Plugged In.

But a few of us on the Plugged In team thought it might be a good idea to do our own screen fasts before March 7, just to see whether we could walk the walk.

And could we? Well, read on to find out.

The Pain …

Now, we’re not asking anyone to quit school or work to participate in our screen fast. You can still text your boss. You can still write that overdue term paper. And at Plugged In, where our jobs are literally all about screens, chucking them completely just wasn’t in the cards. I still watched and reviewed a movie or two. I still used my computer to type up my reviews.

But even so, the fast was harder than you might imagine.

I’ve spent a lot of my career talking about how sneaky screentime can be—and how it always feels like someone else’s problem. But when I set aside my own phone, turned out it was sneakier than I realized: It’s my problem, too.

Typically, as soon as my alarm goes off (on my phone, of course), I check headlines. Maybe do a couple of small duties for a “casual” game I play. Maybe, if I have time, do a quick French lesson via a language app I use.

During the screen fast, my alarm would go off and I … wouldn’t quite know what to do.

More time to get ready for work, right? I could use that time to comb my hair.

But the evenings proved to be the much more difficult challenge. After dinner, how could I wile away the evening without picking up a game controller? Or flipping on a little television? Or even scrolling through some Reels? Suddenly, I had a couple extra hours to kill, and it made me a little, um, cranky.

So what was I to do?

Turns out, quite a bit.

The Gain

So, if you’ve seen me on YouTube (or if you scroll to the bottom of this blog to see my staff photo), you know my hair doesn’t need a lot of attention. But what did? My spiritual life. I put those extra morning minutes straight into more time with the Bible and prayer.

I read more in the evening, too, rekindling the joy of simply sitting down with a good book and a good light. My wife and I dug out some little-used board games and started playing them. (I think I finally understand Wingspan.) I helped my wife cook dinner, too—and to my great surprise, had a blast doing it.

That’s when the beauty of the screen fast became so obvious to me. Who knew that cutting up vegetables would come with so many tangible benefits? Not only did it give my wife and I more time to talk about our respective days; not only did I get to fling around a knife for a while; but I also think the food tasted better. It had nothing to do with my chopping veggies (because no matter how you slice it, literally, broccoli is still broccoli) and everything to do with the experience of helping prepare the food.

And that, right there, is a nice analogy of what fasting from screens might do for your lives: When you fast from screens, everything tastes better. You remember how fun it is to read a good book. You discover a new game that’s way better than spending 45 minutes mindlessly scrolling through TikTok. When you talk with your spouse, or your kids, or your friends, you concentrate on the conversation. Why? Because your phone isn’t begging you to look at it, instead.

The Aftermath

By definition, a fast is about giving up something. You forego that thing—food, chocolate, caffeine, technology—for a certain amount of time. But when we think of fasting in spiritual terms, it’s always been about getting something, too: We draw closer to God.

That was the impetus of the screen fast from the get-go. Yes, we give up something, and it’s not something that’s easy to give up. There’s a reason why we spend so much time on our screens, after all; they feed us content that’s fun, interesting, relaxing and sometimes, addicting. We do more than consume it: We crave it.

Stepping away from screens is a way to make ourselves aware of those cravings, yes. But it’s also an opportunity to remind us of the beauties and joys that perhaps we’ve forgotten about.

I’m through with my screen fast now. But I’ve not returned to the same level of screen usage as I had before. My mornings are still more Bible than phone. I’m reading more books, cutting more vegetables, taking more walks.

What would you do if you cut down—or cut out—screens for a week? Want to find out? Join us, won’t you? All you need to do is go to Screen Fast 2025 to find out more.

The post I Gave Up Screens for a Week. And It Was (Mostly) Great. appeared first on Plugged In.

And he hasn’t left his home in years.

He’s one example of a person dubbed hikikomori—a Japanese word describing someone who withdraws from society. Specifically, they don’t physically go in to work or school, isolating themselves in their home or even bedroom for a period longer than six months. And Japan estimates that nearly 2 million citizens (1.6% of its population) fit this description.

The concept of hikikomori has been around since the late 1980s in Japan. But where this phenomenon was once thought to be a culturally bound issue—the result of widescale retreat from stringent societal pressures regarding Japanese school and work performance and expectations—experts warn that this silent epidemic is spreading globally. 

Defining Hikikomori

Those dubbed hikikomori suffer from a kind of social anxiety that is elsewhere defined as “extreme social withdrawal.” For a variety of reasons, they voluntarily sequester themselves away from the world at large, opting instead to remain in the comfort of their home or bedroom, where they maintain as few relationships as necessary. They tend to have higher rates of depression and anxiety, and the self-imposed isolation only exacerbates those issues.

Across the world, men between the ages of 15 and 34 make up the largest hikikomori demographic, though women in this age group are similarly affected. Many, though not all, live with their parents well into adulthood—although a smaller portion lives alone, working remote jobs to survive. And one study differentiates between hikikomori and those who are defined as “NEET” (Not in Education, Employment or Training), since the latter may still engage in society despite their apathy towards work.

As the rate of hikikomori continues to grow, various governments have started researching ways to combat the issue. Japan, for instance, has opened government-funded community centers specifically for hikikomori. In South Korea, hikikomori are offered nearly $500 per month as a stipend to encourage them to reintegrate into society.

The rate of hikikomori varies by nation but tends to increase in countries with higher rates of connection to the Internet. And initial studies regarding the United States estimate that the rate of those living here as hikikomori could be as high as 2.7% (nearly 9 million people).

What Causes Hikikomori?

While there is no definitive issue that causes someone to become hikikomori, there are some factors that increase the chance that someone may choose to adopt the solitary lifestyle. According to “Contemporary Hermits: A Developmental Psychopathology Account of Extreme Social Withdrawal (Hikikomori) in Young People” (a study published by the Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review), underlying psychiatric disorders, societal pressures, adverse relationships and excessive use of the Internet all increase the risk of someone becoming a “contemporary hermit.”

It’s important to note that, in the case of psychiatric disorders, becoming hikikomori is more often the result rather than the cause of a mental health issue. For instance, someone with depression may be more likely to socially isolate themselves. But “Contemporary Hermits” identifies five neurological disorders that are positively associated with someone becoming hikikomori: schizophrenia, social anxiety disorder, depression, autism spectrum disorder and avoidant personality disorder.

In terms of societal pressures, the study suggests that a competitive job market might be another reason for the retreat. With teens and young adults increasingly believing that college is a required step toward obtaining a job that offers financial security, the added pressure and economic investment could feel like impossibly heavy burdens. So those who believe they’re falling behind their peers may experience the urge to simply give up the rat race altogether. It’s no wonder, then, that the majority of hikikomori come from middle- to higher-class backgrounds, since their parents can afford for them to stay home instead of becoming financially independent and moving out.

The study also highlights that, in just over three-fifthsof all hikikomori cases, “dysfunctional family dynamics were clearly present” and were “characterized by high levels of conflict and instability, poor communication, excessive control, lack of empathy, and excessive criticism, which are all features that potentially endanger the development and emotional well-being of the individual family members.”

Regarding adverse relationships, the study’s authors also hypothesize that parenting styles that either overindulge children or overprotect them could lead to a learned dependency that could encourage hikikomori tendencies. And outside of the home, another study published by Cambridge University Press found a positive relationship between “peer victimization and perceived peer acceptance” with self- and parent-reported withdrawal levels.

Excessive Internet use can also reinforce a solitary lifestyle. Government reports indicate that “adolescents who spent more than 3 hours per day on social media faced double the risk of experiencing poor mental health outcomes including symptoms of depression and anxiety”—mental health issues directly correlated to hikikomori. Additionally, those who feel better locked away from the world are further supported by grocery and food delivery apps, remote work and endless online entertainment—factors that allow someone to receive many basic needs without ever having to step outside.

What Can Parents Do?

Because there is no singular cause for why someone might become hikikomori, there’s likewise no singular answer for parents who fear their child may be on this path. But there is hope, as many self-identified hikikomori have gone on to escape the lifestyle. (This report from CNN covers a handful of such cases.)

Many contemporary hermits desire a return to society. Anecdotally, upon scrolling through a subreddit dedicated to hikikomori, many posts spoke about feelings of helplessness and falling behind peers. Unfortunately, most do not actively seek out help.

Because of that—and because more than half of all hikikomori cases are paired with a sense of social inadequacy—parents should try to intentionally communicate and connect with their child on a deeper level. After all, since the majority of hikikomori cases are connected to feelings of familial isolation or relational failure, rebuilding that bond can be the first step to overcoming the issue. And even if the underlying issue isn’t due to perceived inadequacy, making the effort to connect may reveal to you what the underlying issue is.

In general, studies find that providing easy ways for hikikomori to slowly reintegrate into society step-by-step can assuage the issue. Remember that hikikomori struggle with feeling overwhelmed and helpless, so reminding them of all the schoolwork they’re missing won’t help the problem.

Instead, provide small tasks—like doing the dishes, taking out the trash or cooking breakfast—to boost hikikomori confidence levels. One study even found that playing Pokémon Go was effective in motivating some hikikomori to leave the home—a step that can eventually lead to overcoming their anxieties about the outside world.

Remember that hikikomori retreat into the darkness because they’ve largely felt like they can’t keep up with society’s expectations. Being that light in their life and coming softly beside them can be just the boost they need to get back on their feet again.

The post The Rise of Hikikomori appeared first on Plugged In.

My sister sent this text to our sister chat just a few days before Christmas. We responded accordingly, offering up advice and otherwise inquiring into her pup’s well-being. (We’re good sisters, after all.)

But over the next two days, I felt as though my emotions were being held hostage as my sis continued to send us details. It wasn’t two dogs, it was just one—and one that was much smaller than her own, for that matter. And it wasn’t the brutal assault that she made it out to be, either. She had initially told us there were multiple bites. Come to find out, it was a single bite on the lip, just several toothmarks. And then there was a whole ordeal with a local shelter coming to pick the stray dog up, only to realize it actually belonged to another family in the neighborhood.

Dog-lovers, fear not. Daisy the dog is doing great now, as is the pup that bit her. But when my sisters and I expressed frustration over the extra drama our sibling had ladled out over the course of two days, she was offended.

“Your insistence on exact details is annoying me,” she said.

But perhaps my sister’s form of communication isn’t entirely her fault. She’s had a smartphone since she was in middle school. She doesn’t remember what life was like before Facebook because she was so young when it came out. And she is the quintessential Gen Z social media user. She, like most of us, doesn’t collect all the information before offering up her opinion:  We see a headline in our feeds. Sometimes we click on it to read the whole article, but more often (especially for 52% of Gen Zers), we skip to the comments section so other people can tell us what it said. And we respond in turn.

It’s a weird way to disseminate knowledge, especially since much of what goes through the comments section consists of opinions, not facts. When you add in the fact that two-thirds of influencers don’t even bother with fact-checking before posting, and my sister’s exaggerated post has plenty of company.

But what can parents do about this lapse in communication?

Well, maybe don’t respond quite as sassily as I did. That’s not going to fix the problem; it’ll just aggravate it. Rather, get into the habit of asking your teenager for more details whenever they share a story they found online. Sure, some of it might seem like drivel—and perhaps it is—but it will also teach them to investigate further before verbally relaying a story as absolute truth.

And parents, you’re also gonna need to pray for some patience. We need to be patient with our Gen Z (and upcoming Gen Alpha) family members and give them a chance to get their words out. And more importantly, we need to do so without the distraction of our own devices. According to Pew Research Center, 46% of teens say their parents are distracted by phones when they’re trying to talk to them.

Not everything teenagers say is going to be revelatory. But we can hardly complain about how social media has ruined our children’s communication skills if we aren’t demonstrating meaningful face-to-face (or even screen-to-screen) interactions by listening to what they have to say.

The post Social Media Has Changed How Gen Z Communicates appeared first on Plugged In.

Yep, 2024 proves the old adage that the only constant in the world is change. And yet, the year came with plenty of constants, too. All that worry that people would stop going to the theaters in a post-COVID world? Yeah, the movie industry is doing just fine, thanks. Are the last vestiges of appointment TV—where a good chunk of the world was watching the same thing—gone forever? The Olympics set new records.

Oh, and let’s not forget that some of 2024’s biggest success stories were, essentially, old entertainment vehicles with shiny new paint jobs. Not only were sequels still very much a thing, but some of the biggest—Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, Twisters and Gladiator II, to name a few—were based on films decades old.

Who made 2024 the crazy year that it was? Let’s look at a few of pop culture 2024’s biggest players—for good or ill—and see what they might tell us about the year that (almost) was.

MrBeast

A young Jimmy Donaldson uploaded his first YouTube video way back in 2012, when he was just 13. He was mainly just playing through video games back then, but he was soon experimenting with other ways to connect with his audience. That connection point? A 2017 video where he—get this—counted to 100,000, a feat that took 40 hours.

Now, MrBeast is, according to Forbes, YouTube’s most influential creator—boasting more than 500 million followers and earning $85 million in 2024. Oh, and since dominating YouTube wasn’t enough, MrBeast is hosting his very own gameshow on a semi-traditional entertainment platform—Amazon Prime Video’s Beast Games. The show has triggered plenty of curiosity and more than a bit of controversy: Some contestants allege that the show subjected them to unsafe working conditions.

Simone Biles

In terms of ratings, the Summer Olympics were the television event of the year. And who was that event’s brightest star? Well, with all due respect to Stephen Nedoroscik (the bespectacled pommel horse phenom on the U.S. Men’s Gymnastics Team), Biles once again took center stage. Nearly 35 million people in the U.S. watched Biles claim her second all-around title—up from the already-gobsmacking 30.6 million viewers the Olympics averaged during its run. She led the team to a gold medal, too and—almost as an afterthought—took a third gold medal in vault. (She also won silver on the floor exercise.)

She’s now the most decorated gymnast in history, and that’s after she withdrew from most of the 2020 Olympics. All that hardware and an inspiring comeback story to boot? Yeah, Biles sticks the landing.

Walter Camp

Go ahead, say it. Walter Camp died in 1925! How can he make a list of cultural movers and shakers in 2024? Here’s why: Walter Chauncey Camp is called the “Father of American Football,” and arguably nothing has impacted the world of entertainment more than his gridiron brainchild.

During the 2023-24 television season, the highest-rated primetime series weren’t scripted dramas or sitcoms; They were football “shows.” (NBC’s Sunday Night Football was No. 1, followed by ABC’s Monday Night Football and Amazon Prime’s Thursday Night Football. CBS’ Tracker finished fourth.) Super Bowl LVIII drew more than 200 million viewers—a new record. And the sport ain’t just a TV thing, either. EA Sports College Football 25 was the year’s most-lucrative video game, earning EA Sports $500 million in just its first two weeks of release. Ol’ Walter would be amazed.

Sabrina Carpenter

Carpenter is no newcomer to the world of entertainment. Like many a musical artist, she first came to the world’s attention courtesy a Disney Channel series—in this case, Girl Meets World. But her latest album, Short n’ Sweet, catapulted Carpenter into the stratosphere. It spawned the hit “Espresso,” which was the world’s number one song of the summer and was streamed a staggering 1.7 billion times on Spotify. Her follow-up single, “Please Please Please,” has been nearly as big—scoring her first No. 1 hit on Billboard’s Hot 100.

Sure, Taylor Swift had plenty of success in 2024, too, what with the release of The Tortured Poets Department. And she could legitimately make our Movers and Shakers list every year. But if it’s Swift’s world, Carpenter has staked out her own sizable domain within it.

Timothée Chalamet

Consider Chalamet as an effective set of bookends for 2024. Chalamet’s film Wonka was North America’s top film the first weekend in January. (It wound up earning $634.4 million worldwide overall.) This Christmas, a very different music-themed film featuring Chalamet—A Complete Unknown—opened to critical acclaim and Oscar buzz. And in between? Well, Chalamet starred in a little thing called Dune: Part Two, which has earned $714.4 million worldwide. Forget House Atreides: Timothée Chalamet is filling the house.

Snoop Dogg

He just might be the only rapper your parents—or grandparents—know, and it has nothing to do with his music. No, Snoop has transcended the world of rap and become one of the world’s most ubiquitous pitchmen. You’ll see him hocking beer. Chips. Insurance. Cell phone service. He’s part of 122 national ad campaigns, according to iSpot.tv—campaigns that have had 203,016 airings in just the last 30 days!

And even if you skip the commercials, Snoop’s presence is still irrepressible. There he is, coaching singers on The Voice. There he is again, kicking back with Martha Stewart during the Olympics. Did he have his own LEGO figure on Pharell Williams’ movie Piece by Piece? Of course he did. He’s Snoop Dogg! Only death and taxes have been more inescapable this year.

Cynthia Erivo

It’s not easy to step into the shoes of Idina Menzel, the golden-piped singer and actress who was Elphaba in the original Broadway production of Wicked. But judging from the success and accolades we’ve seen pile up for Wicked: Part 1, Erivo’s done just fine. Thanks in big part to Erivo and co-star Ariana Grande, Wicked has already grossed nearly $400 million in North America and $580 million worldwide. It’s considered a strong Oscar contender as well, with Erivo a favorite to land a Best Actress nomination.

Given that Erivo has already earned an Emmy, a Grammy and a Tony award, it’s possible that Erivo just might be the 28^th person to join the EGOT club—considered the grand slam of the American entertainment industry. You might say that, this year, Erivo defied gravity.

Mickey Mouse

On last year’s Movers and Shakers list, when CEO Bob Iger returned after a series of flops, I called Disney a “company in crisis.” Well, the Mouse House still has some issues to tackle. But man, you couldn’t tell that from the box office. Disney had a huge bounce-back year: Inside Out 2 will finish as 2024’s biggest success story, banking nearly $653 million in North America and $1.7 billion worldwide. The film’s nearest competitor in 2024? That’d be Disney/Marvel’s Deadpool & Wolverine, which scraped up $636.7 million stateside and $1.3 billion worldwide.

Disney’s Moana 2 is in the year’s top five as well ($366.3 million in North America, $806.9 million globally). In fact, Disney is the only studio to earn more than $2 billion at the domestic box office this year—marking Disney’s return to the cinematic summit. It’s been nearly 100 years since Disney introduced Mickey Mouse to the world in Steamboat Willie. But the aged little rodent—at least in the world of movies—has rarely looked stronger.

Chappell Roan

Chappell Roan went supernova in 2024. Her album, The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess, landed at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 albums chart. The song, “Good Luck, Babe!” became a sensation and has been nominated for a trio of Grammy awards. Her songs are catchy and fun, her live performances are reportedly electrifying, and her sexual inclinations have made her, in the words of PinkNews, a “queer pop icon.”

Raised in the Midwest and reared with conservative, Christian values, Roan has long since left that past behind, fostering legions of new fans with her sometimes-painful authenticity and embrace of everything LGBT. No, she’s not the best-selling singer in the music world. Arguably, she’s not even the most popular on this list. But Chappell Roan’s influence cannot be overstated.

Shaboozey

Google Shaboozey. Go ahead: I’ll wait. Did you see the screen tilt to the left, then to the right? Well, you can thank the singer’s breakout hit, “A Bar Song [Tipsy],” for that. Born Collins Obinna Chibueze, Shaboozey took a 20-year-old rap song (“Tipsy”) and countrified it, turning it into the year’s biggest hit. “The Bar Song” spent 19 weeks on top of Billboard’s Hot 100 list—tying Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road” as the longest-running No. 1 song in history. It landed at No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart, too, giving him the honor of being the first Black artist to debut at the top of both charts at the same time.

Country is big these days: Huge pop stars such as Beyonce and Sheryl Crow released country albums in 2024, and more will likely come. But Shaboozey’s titanic chart topper shows the level to which genre-blending songs are in vogue—and how tunes about getting drunk never seem to go out of style.

The post Pop Culture’s Top 10 Movers and Shakers (2024 Edition) appeared first on Plugged In.

But YouTubers tend to have the opposite treatment. Most YouTubers don’t explode into relevancy overnight. Even if they’ve had a video go viral, chances are they’ve had their YouTube channel for at least a few years. In other words, a TV show might not get renewed for another season and become irrelevant by this time next year, whereas a YouTuber’s fame can stick around for over a decade.

Of course, that means our year-end picks for YouTube might cause some channels to get the short end of the stick. Most of the channels we reviewed (and picked) this year were also popular enough to warrant a review last year. We simply didn’t have the time or manpower to do so. Thus, there are instances in which a channel would have made our list had it been reviewed in a different year.

Such is the case for a few channels, which is why, despite not officially making our top five, we’ll quickly shout out a few honorable mentions at the bottom of this list.

But first, we’ll share our official winners. As in previous years, channels that focus on Christian teaching will not be considered. Not because we don’t like them, but simply because we’d be biased to make them our top five each time if we did.

Stuff Made Here

(Educational)

Let’s first talk about the man who built his YouTube channel from the ground up more literally than most. Shane Wighton is an engineer who tasks himself with designing interesting solutions to unusual problems. For instance, most people who want to score a basket in basketball would practice until their aim got better. When Wighton does it, he designs a hoop that automatically moves to receive a shot that otherwise would have missed. And while some of his verbiage may go over a viewer’s head, the end result may also encourage them to think up unique answers to their own questions.

Primitive Technology

(Educational, How-To)

If all of Wighton’s talk about electronics and coding is too fancy for you, maybe you’d rather take a step or seven into the past. That’s where you’ll meet John Plant, who spends his time creating a homestead from scratch. Over the years, he’s built a home, a brick kiln and an iron smelter under one simple rule: He’s only allowed to use tools he’s personally created before. Plant never speaks in his videos, leaving viewers to simply enjoy watching his crafting process. And while other “primitive technology” channels have sprung up over the years—hoping to capitalize on Plant’s success through misleading videos that hide whole construction crews and equipment just offscreen—Primitive Technology is the real deal.

The Urban Rescue Ranch

(Christian, Educational, How-To)

One thing Primitive Technology hasn’t had the chance to do yet is build a pen for animals. If you’re looking for that, you might enjoy The Urban Rescue Ranch. Ben Christie owns and operates a “prospective wildlife rehab,” restoring sick or injured animals back to health. And while that does mean that viewers may occasionally see an animal who doesn’t survive, they also get to see Christie’s process of caring for the creatures, too—a choice made more impactful when the viewer learns that Christie, a Christian, began his wildlife facility after he left his position working for a tech company in order to follow God’s call for his life. So, even though working with animals may not be the cleanest job, it’s one that viewers of The Urban Rescue Ranch will likely appreciate seeing on Christie’s channel.

League of Pigs

(Culture/Commentary, Sports)

Imagine if The Urban Rescue Ranch was really into Kunekune pigs—and recognized their affinity for racing. That’s more or less what’s going on over at League of Pigs. The channel’s unnamed narrator builds racetracks on which his pet pigs fervently race to get to their food trough. And when they race, he provides entertaining commentary, much like an announcer for a real competition. The five pigs are all fierce contenders for first place, and those looking for a simpler watch and some cute animals may find their new favorite sport on this channel.

Sam Reid

(Challenge/Prank, Educational, Traveler/Influencer)

But if looking at pigs just makes you want bacon, then maybe Sam Reid is more your speed. That’s because the channel focuses primarily on food. And whether the videos feature a food experiment, tiered list of food options or eating challenge, they come with quite a bit more information than you might expect—facts that help boost Reid’s credibility. Reid seeks for his channel to be a “feel-good variety show about food, travel, and the questions you didn’t know you had,” and we’d say he’s succeeded in that goal.

Honorable Mentions

NileRed/NileBlue – This two-for-one channel features interesting chemistry experiments that’ll make you wish you studied harder in school. Despite a couple of minor hiccups, it remains relatively clean. Had we not also reviewed a slightly cleaner channel that focuses on engineering, NileRed/NileBlue likely would have made this list.

Stampylonghead – This is perhaps the only channel that became ineligible for our list simply because the channel became inactive. This Minecraft content creator’s series is intentionally made for children, and content issues are sparse. 

Marques Brownlee – Were our picks based solely on which channels have the fewest content concerns, Marques Brownlee would probably have made the list. But we also like to feature channels that have unique content we believe the whole family may enjoy. And as interesting and useful as Brownlee’s product reviews may be for adults, we’re not sure younger kids would be as interested in his videos.

So there you have it! Those are Plugged In‘s choices for best YouTube channels of 2024.

The post Best YouTubers of 2024: Plugged In’s Year-End Picks appeared first on Plugged In.

What? A new study by the University of Cambridge found that teens who are physically isolated for just a few hours experience a heightened “threat alert” or “threat vigilance,” increasing feelings of loneliness and anxiety even if they’re socializing with friends and family online.

So What? This goes against pro-social media advocates who claim that platforms such as Instagram and TikTok can help mitigate those feelings. And the authors of the study say, “It could contribute to the persistent and exaggerated fear responses typical of anxiety disorders on the rise among young people around the world.”

Now What? God did not create us to “go it alone.” In fact, we are commanded to love one another and to fellowship together. But teenagers—especially those who might feel misunderstood or friendless—often seek isolation. Try to discourage this behavior, reminding your teen that God doesn’t want them to feel lonely. Instead he tells us: “For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them” (Matthew 18:20 ESV).

Influencers Claim Castor Oil Aids in Weight Loss

What? In the latest social media trend, influencers are putting castor oil on their stomachs before bed, touting it as a “natural” weight loss alternative.

So What? According to Mamamia, health experts have debunked this method, stating that, at best, castor oil will just hydrate your skin. They link the before-and-after results to the abdominal massages users perform as they apply the oil (which is proven to aid in relieving bloating and constipation), as well as the “castor oil packs” being sold. The packs are essentially a strap you wrap around your stomach, and it’s the pressure of that strap, not the castor oil, that helps reduce gas and create the illusion of “overnight weight loss.”

Now What? Trends such as “Oatzempic,” berberine (a supplement advertised as “nature’s Ozempic” that doctors warn against), chia seed drinks and celery juice cleanses all contribute to toxic diet culture. And experts warn that these sort of “quick fixes” can lead to a cycle of unrealistic body expectations or even dangerous eating and exercise behaviors. But their prevalence on social media and among influencers may mean that mom and dad need to help debunk these exaggerated claims.

What Parents Need to Know About Bluesky

What? Bluesky, a newish text-based social media app, gained 2.25 million new users this month as people sought an alternative to X (formerly Twitter).

So What? Bluesky gained popularity due to its reverse-chronological feed, as opposed to an algorithm-based one. It also prioritizes user safety over user engagement, with robust moderation features. But parents shouldn’t be lulled into a false sense of security.

Now What? As one journalist described it, Bluesky is “frequently horny.” The platform is reminiscent of “Old Twitter” with a “seemingly inevitable leftist tilt” and a subcommunity of NSFW posters. The aforementioned moderation tools may help to cull these posts from younger users’ feeds, but the platform still has plenty of holes in its security that could be exploited.

The post On the Radar: Teen ‘Threat Alert,’ the Castor Oil Trend and Bluesky appeared first on Plugged In.

“I saw the beauty, truth and goodness of Christianity” through the people he met there, he says.

And ever since then, Ackerman’s been trying to show that same beauty, truth and goodness to his online audience—now numbering more than 474,000 subscribers—by digging deep into Christian thought, doctrine and tradition. He says that his generation, Generation Z, is very interested in faith. In fact, he argues that Gen Zers are more religious than their parents.

You might not agree with everything he says, but there’s one thing you know just by listening to Ackerman: He’s smart, knows his stuff, and he’s not afraid to share. Honestly, I don’t know if I’ve ever had a conversation with another Christian about the Hypostatic Union before now. Oh, yeah, and he sometimes plays Minecraft while he’s unpacking complex theological issues and doctrine.

Kennedy Unthank and I had a chance to talk with Ackerman recently about his faith, his YouTube channel (Redeemed Zoomer) and, really, the desire he has to reach young, would-be believers. What follows is a portion of our chat.

Q. For our listeners who maybe don’t know your background, can you give us a quick testimony of how you originally came to Christ?

Q. Was that the inspiration for your YouTube channel? Online evangelization?

Q. Your channel covers really deep stuff. Are younger Christians interested in that level of depth?

Q. It feels like you have a real appreciation and love for the history of the Christian Church. What would you say is your favorite period of Christian history?

Q. When you look at your career on YouTube, what is the weirdest thing about your experience?

Q. Anything you’d like to add as we wrap up?

The post Building Faith Online: A Conversation with Redeemed Zoomer appeared first on Plugged In.

Running neck and neck for second and third place, respectively, were The Best Christmas Pageant Ever and Heretic, earning roughly $11 million apiece. The former is based on the beloved children’s book by Barbara Robinson and has a nice message about the true meaning of Christmas. The latter is much as its name suggests: a psychological thriller questioning every aspect of faith and seemingly mocking those who would choose to believe in God.

The Wild Robot came in fourth with about $6.6 million, bringing the touching family film’s domestic earnings to $130 million and its global tally just shy of $300 million.

In fifth place—and proving that it doesn’t have to be October for people to get their scare on—was Smile 2, with an estimated sum of $5 million.

Other box office newcomers landed a bit further down the list: Elevation and Overlord: The Sacred Kingdom each earned about $1.1 million to take 11^th and 12^th place. And Weekend in Taipei, which had a very limited theatrical release, earned just $150,000 to land in 19^th.

The post Movie Monday: ‘Venom: The Last Dance’ Keeps Twirling appeared first on Plugged In.

What? How long does it take to become addicted to TikTok’s short-form videos? According to information released in an ongoing suit by 13 attorneys general against the social media platform, TikTok’s internal answer to that question is 260 videos.

So What? How long does that take? Not very long at all. Kentucky’s Attorney General official said, “While this [number] may seem substantial, TikTok videos can be as short as 8 seconds and are played for viewers in rapid-fire succession, automatically. Thus, in under 35 minutes, an average user is likely to become addicted to the platform.”

Now What? The lawsuit against TikTok alleges that the social media company not only knows the risks to young users, but actively targets young users with features that keeps them constantly engaged. Regardless of the threshold at which someone is or isn’t addicted, families must reckon with the reality that compulsive engagement habits aren’t formed in weeks or days, but possibly in minutes. 

Four Hours of Screentime Daily Linked to Higher Teen Depression and Anxiety

What? A new study by the National Center for Health Services suggests that four or more hours of daily screen use by teens correlates with a higher incidence of depression and anxiety.

So What? For more than a decade, concerned social scientists have hypothesized that excessive screen-time and social media use strongly correlate with mental health problems among adolescents. Each new study reinforces a growing consensus among researchers that social media’s adverse effects among young users merit serious attention.

Now What? We hear lots of news about rising rates of anxiety and depression among our kids. But we may not automatically recognize those issues when they begin to emerge. Focus on the Family’s Parenting ministry can help you identify what teen depressions looks like and begin to take action to help your adolescents in this area as well.  

Australia Mulls Under-16 Social Media Ban

What? Governments worldwide are grappling with how to protect kids and help families deal with the ubiquitous issue of too much screen time. Australian lawmakers are hearing from both parents and tech companies as they consider an under-16 ban on social media for all teens.

So What? Advocates of the ban believe that if Australia enacted this law, it would make it easier for parents to enforce social media limitations in their families. Anthea Dare, an advocate for the organization Heads Up Alliance, said, “It’s actually a signal to parents to say, it’s OK to say no. If both parents are working and are stressed out, trying to put your mind to having this battle with this persistent middle-schooler is really hard.”

Now What? While lawmakers around the world ponder stricter social media use policies, the reality is that individual families are where limits, boundaries and habits are shaped and formed. What parameters do you have in place for your family members? Do you need to revisit or reset those “house rules” when it comes to smartphone and social media use? As much as this is often framed as an issue for our kids, our perspective, habits and discipline as parents likely remains the most important influence when it comes to our kids’ interaction with screens.  

The post On the Radar: Addicted to TikTok in 35 Minutes, The Screen-Time/Anxiety Tipping Point, Oz Mulls appeared first on Plugged In.