Hi, hello and welcome to our latest drop of youth updates!
Today we are thinking about a Vogue cover, the realm of schools and exams in the pandemic, Gen Z’s fight for social justice and of course, our word of the month!
POP CULTURE: Billie Eilish’s Vogue cover
Billie Eilish is a 19-year old best-selling international music artist, who rose to fame as a young teen with an incredibly popular EP at just 16 years old. (If you haven’t heard her music before, you can check it out on Apple Music, Spotify, YouTube etc.)
She recently posted on her Instagram, a photo of her from the cover of Vogue – an image that caused a huge reaction across the pop culture world. Billie, normally known for wearing over-sized baggy clothes, was depicted in corsets and lingerie – something which she had never done before. This caused such a big reaction as, previously, Billie had spoken out about feeling the need to cover up to avoid being sexualised as a child artist, but also to promote body positivity.
Some people saw her new look as a dynamic way to push creative boundaries and a reinvention of a pop icon, whereas others (including the media and some fans) saw it as a hypocritical move against her previous stance on body positivity. Billie said “Showing your body and showing your skin – or not – should not take any respect away from you” and that her stance on body positivity is to do whatever makes you feel good (whether that’s the clothes you wear or getting surgery). It reminds us that appearance, identity, sexuality and body positivity are huge topics in the world of Gen Zers and a nudge towards discourse around what healthy body positivity might look like.
ISSUES: School and exams in the pandemic
It’s no surprise that school exams have been subject to a vast array of emotions as the pandemic threw education in the air and shook it around. One teaching assistant who works in a school pointed out that, for her current year 12s, next year would be the first time they sit formal exams that impact their future in their school career. This inspired us to chat with young people and teachers to gain an insight on what it really feels like on the ground.
One teacher said that ‘despite the fact the government have said exams are cancelled, young people have ended up sitting more exams than normal’ due to the teacher assessed system currently in place. With one young person saying at one point she was given only 5 weeks’ notice for mocks that would impact grades used on UCAS University applications. She described the level of stress she was feeling around it all. Indeed, another secondary teacher spoke of how they are dealing with 2-3 panic attacks a week, tears and stress in a higher rate than usual.
It seems pertinent, as one teacher said, to bear in mind that young people are ‘more than a piece of paper or a grade’, with another saying we need to remember to be patient and kind and to listen to their valid feelings. One young person said they just have to keep reminding themselves that the best they can do is enough, remembering that this does not define them and keep trusting God in the process.
HOT TOPICS: Gen Z, justice & social media
Generation Z have gained the reputation of being champions for social justice and it’s no surprise that social media becomes a hub used to raise awareness of, and speak about, issues around the world.
Last year we saw a wave of people taking a stance against racism in light of George Floyd’s death, posts about climate change and, even as we speak, you can see on TikToker’s comment sections and celebrities Instagram posts (including Billie Eilish from above) that people are asking for statements from the people they follow and support about the Israel-Palestine situation. Big topics certainly don’t seem to be out of bounds.
Social media is a platform of information sharing; rallying people to causes and raising awareness. The topics seem to come in waves of saturating social media feeds. However, it sometimes can seem like justice issues gain a huge swathe of momentum only to fade into the background again. Young people still know and care these things are happening but it raises questions around whether people (often including ourselves as grown-ups!) know how to follow up these huge conversations and develop ‘focused moments’ into praying and acting as champions of love and justice in this world on an ongoing basis.
WORD OF THE MONTH: Cap/No Cap
‘Cap/No Cap’ roughly equates to a lie/not a lie. The two words are used separately to signify either the honesty in something or the suspicion or dishonesty in something.
Eg. “I saw Brad Pitt outside my house. No cap.” = “I saw Brad Pitt outside my house. I’m not lying.”
OR
In response to the comment, “I saw a flying dragon yesterday” someone might say “That’s cap” (That’s a lie).
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