Young adults not religious, still spiritual; girls in sports get better grades; more

Losing Faith? — Young adults are less prone to identify with a given religion than their parents and not very likely to attend church, according to a new study. But that doesn’t necessarily mean that they’re less spiritual. The study, from the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, found that a fourth of the Millennial generation—those between the ages of 18 and 29 years old—don’t have a specific religious affiliation. For comparison, about 20 percent of folks from Generation X were unaffiliated at the same age, and just 13 percent of Baby Boomers were. Only 18 percent of Millennials report going to church at least once a week. But the study also found that 40 percent of Millennials say religion is “very important” to them—a slight tick above the Gen Xers at the same point in their lives—more than half are “certain” God exists, and 41 percent pray every day. Also, it’s important to note that religion typically becomes more important to people as they age, as well. Less than 40 percent of Boomers, when they were in their 20s, said religion was “very important” to them. Nowadays, 60 percent of Boomers do. (USA Today)

Sports Give Girls Edge in Life — Research has long showed that girls who participate in sports tend to get better grades, are less likely to get pregnant as teens and generally have better self-esteem. But scientists weren’t exactly sure what that meant: Did sports give these girls certain advantages elsewhere, or were smart girls with high self-esteem just more likely to get involved in sports? Now, some scientists say a new study proves that sports do help girls: The study, from the minds at the University of Pennsylvania, looked specifically at states that had to make significant changes to their athletic programs in the wake of Title IX—a 1972 law that requires schools to provide the same number of athletic opportunities for girls as it does for boys. The particulars are complex, but in short, the study found that girls who jumped into sports during the formative years of Title IX (and probably wouldn’t have been involved otherwise) were7 percent less likely to be obese 20-25 years later. No other program is as effective at preventing obesity, scientists say. (The New York Times) 

What a Grind — Concerned that school dances are becoming increasingly sexualized, school officials across the nation are fighting back. Some schools are installing dance dress codes and asking students to sign code-of-conduct agreements before letting them through the gym door. Others are canceling dances altogether. At least one school—Pacific Hills School in West Hollywood, Calif.—tells students that if anyone’s caught “grinding” during the dance, chaperones will turn the lights up and play a steady dose of Burt Bacharach tunes. “The sexual nature of the dancing just seemed to be increasing,” says Charles Salter, principal for California’s Aliso Niguel High School. “One school found condoms on the floor.” (msnbc.com) 

Giving Up Electricity For Lent — Several Anglican bishops in Great Britain are asking parishioners to observe the holy season of Lent by going on an unusual fast: To cull their carbon intake. Giving up something for Lent isn’t that unusual, of course: Many Catholics, Anglicans, Episcopalians and other Christians go on fasts during the 40 days leading up to Easter. Often they give up meat or alcohol during Lent, but people can give up virtually anything—as long as it demonstrates sacrifice. But the idea of going on a carbon fast is pretty new. The Rev. Richard Chartres, the Anglican bishop of London, said the carbon fast was “an opportunity to demonstrate the love of God in a practical way.” (Associated Press)
Related: Youth Culture Lesson: Smaller Footprints

More Youth Culture Updates:
YCU: Teen Boys Lie About Sex
YCU: Teens picky about Internet
YCU: Bullying linked to suicide
YCU: Twittering for Dollars
YCU: Teens Go Jobless