PLUS: Making cussing illegal (sort of), iTunes’ one billionth served, cyberbullies, more

Lack of Sleep, Drug Use Linked — Teens who get less than seven hours of sleep a night are more likely to use drugs, according to new research. Scientists also claim that this cycle of sleeplessness and drug use can actually spread to others in the teen’s circle. “Adolescents are embedded in complex social networks and are especially vulnerable to peer effects—possibly not only with respect to drugs, but also with respect to sleep,” the study reads in part. (AFP)

Swearing In — California lawmakers passed a resolution to institute an annual “Cuss Free Week” for the state. The effort, introduced by Democrat assemblyman Anthony Portantino, is largely ceremonial: No one will go to jail for saying naughty words (as long as they’re not saying them to a police officer or judge, that is). But Portantino will dole out “cuss jars” to all state lawmakers. “Our goal with this resolution is to get people to realize that words do matter,” Portantino says. “At the end of the day, we may not eliminate profanity, but hopefully we can reduce the frequency with which it is used.” The Cuss Free Week was actually inspired by McKay Hatch, a teen from South Pasadena who started a No Cussing Club at his junior high in 2007. The movement has spawned a Web site with 35,000 members. (USA Today)

Sweet Music — On Feb. 24, Johnny Cash’s “Guess Things Happen That Way” became the 10 billionth song sold by iTunes. The lucky buyer, Louis Sulcer of Woodstock, Ga., was given a $10,000 iTunes gift certificate to the store—enough credit to fill up an iPod or two. (BBC News)

Cyberbullies Reportedly Expelled — Two students from South Hadley (Mass.) High School, accused of bullying a fellow student who later committed suicide, have apparently been expelled—though the school, citing privacy concerns, simply said the students wouldn’t be back. The victim, 15-year-old Phoebe Prince, was found dead earlier this month, just days after she accepted a date to a school dance. Schoolmates later revealed that Prince had been relentlessly bullied by text and Facebook. (Fox News)
Related: Youth Culture Lesson: Cyberbullying — Online Harassment Can Turn Deadly

Quote: “I took five pregnancy tests. I just handed her the test. I didn’t know what to tell my mom. She just started crying and was like, “Are you serious?” —Leah, the teen mother of twins and focus of season two of MTV’s 16 & Pregnant. She says she never considered abortion because “my family would’ve never talked to me again, and I personally don’t agree with it myself.” She decided to do the show because she wanted “people to see what you have to go through to be a teenage mom.” (Entertainment Weekly) 

Quote: “Maybe guys nowadays have just grown so comfortable with each other that they feel free to express their affection in an overly physical way, kind of like the way pro football players pat each other on the bottoms. Or maybe they’re looking to each other for emotional connections because it’s “safer” than looking for a meaningful relationship with a woman. Or maybe they’re indeed experiencing sexual ambiguity, and experimenting with homosexual behavior, something that’s become less taboo over the past decades? I honestly don’t know.” Ted Slater, a blogger for Focus on the Family’s ministry Boundless, wondering why men today seem to be more affectionate—even effeminate—with each other. (Boundless)

More Youth Culture Updates:
YCU: Young Adults Not In Church
YCU: Teen Boys Lie About Sex
YCU: Teens picky about Internet
YCU: Bullying linked to suicide
YCU: Twittering for Dollars