On the Radar: Gen Z Not Picking Up the Phone, Claude ‘Cruelty’ Ban and Teens Less Likely to Identify as LGBT

Why Doesn’t Gen Z Answer the Phone?

What? Think younger generations are bad at answering phone calls? There may be some truth to that. A Uswitch study found that 23% of 18 to 34-year-olds never answer a phone call, while over 50% assume a surprise call is to deliver bad news.

So What? There can be multiple factors for this behavior, including perceived inefficiency of a call (as compared to a social media message or text) and the demand for immediate, undivided attention, which can be difficult depending on the time of day or a person’s schedule.

Now What? Whether you’re on Team Phone Call or Team Text, look for ways to compromise and keep communication strong, especially with friends and family members. Those who avoid phone calls could make an effort to talk on the phone now and then, especially for important or emotional conversations. And those who would rather talk on the phone should try sending texts for small talk or simple questions. With a little bit of effort, both sides of this communication tango will hopefully feel connected and valued.

Anthropic Bans Cruelty to AI Chatbot Claude

What? Anthropic, the company behind the popular AI chatbot Claude, recently issued a policy update that prohibits users from being cruel to their chatbot model.

So What? Being cruel to inanimate objects can become a practiced behavior that risks bubbling out elsewhere. But people are pointing out that the problem lies in how Anthropic is referring to Claude. Almost as if it’s a person—which it certainly is not.

Now What? An algorithm capable of producing outputs that seem like feelings is not the same thing as a person with, you know, actual feelings. It’s called artificial intelligence for a reason. While we shouldn’t be unkind in any circumstance, we also shouldn’t treat AI as something it’s not.

Number of Teens Identifying as LGBT Drops

What? According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, young teenagers “are less likely to identify as lesbian, gay or bisexual than they were a few years ago.” In particular, there was a 50% drop in the number of ninth-grade girls who identified as bisexual since 2021.

So What? The reasons behind this drop are unclear, with some insinuating that politics and/or social media may have played a hand in the numbers. But others have pushed back against this thinking. Jody Herman, a senior researcher at UCLA, notes that the “narrative around a decline in LGBT identity among youth has been around for a while now.” It remains to be seen if this trend will continue and if the reasons for the shift will become more apparent.

Now What? For now, talk to your teens about your family’s beliefs and values. Remind them that we should treat all of God’s children with love, even if someone’s beliefs and values don’t align with our own. And reinforce the truth that we should look for our identity in Christ.