Written by Dan Istvanik

#Trendingparenting is a quick monthly dose FOR PARENTS of what is currently popular and going on in the world of kids and teenagers.

At Parent Ministry, we know in the middle of crazy schedules and busy lives it can be difficult for parents to be aware of what is happening in popular culture. That is the heart behind why we created this resource for you to send out to parents..

Even if parents are careful and selective concerning what they allow directly into their child’s mind, eyes and ears…

…the reality is some of the things listed below may influence them indirectly through fashion, catchphrases, and even commercials.

As the Christmas season is upon us, even gifts have been influenced by pop culture.

We hope this monthly resource helps parents feel more informed and empowered to have great conversations with their family.

Here is a list of trends for November and December, with links to the original location of the information, if you have the time and would like to do more research.

At the end of this blog post, we have also included website links to find helpful family-focused reviews and to view complete, unedited lyrics.

Please keep in mind, this is real-world information and the unedited content, topics, and lyrics may be offensive.

Movies (According to Rotten Tomatoes)

  1. The Grinch (PG)
  2. Bohemian Rhapsody (PG 13)
  3. Overlord (R)
  4. The Nutcracker and the Four Realms (PG)
  5. A Star is Born (R)

Songs (According to Billboard, Hot 100)

  1. “Thank U, Next” – Ariana Grande
  2. “Girls Like You” – Maroon 5 and Cardi B (7 weeks at #1)
  3. “Sicko Mode” – Travis Scott
  4. “Happier” – Marshmello & Bastille
  5. “Lucid Dreams”- Juice WRLD

Most Downloaded Songs (According to Official Charts)

  1. “Thank You, Next” – Ariana Grande
  2. “Shallow” – Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper
  3. “Polaroid” – Jonas Blue, Liam Payne, Lennon
  4. “Woman Like Me” – Little Mix and Nicki Minaj
  5. “A Million Dreams” – Pink

Broadcast TV Shows (According to Neilsen)

  1. NBC Sunday Night Football
  2. Fox Thursday Night Football
  3. Sunday Night NFL Pre-Kickoff
  4. The Big Bang Theory
  5. NCIS

TV Shows on Social Media (According to Neilsen)

  1. WWE Monday Night Raw (USA)
  2. WWE SmackDown! (USA)
  3. The Walking Dead (AMC)
  4. Jersey Shore: Family Vacation (MTV)
  5. Dancing with the Stars (ABC)

Video Games Bought for Console and PC (According to Neilsen)

  1. Red Dead Redemption 2
  2. Fallout 76
  3. FIFA 19
  4. Call of Duty: Black Ops III
  5. Marvel’s Spiderman (PS4)

YouTube Videos (According to YouTube)

  1. “Vocal Coach Reaction to Little Mix- Woman Like Me” – Tristan Paredes
  2. “The Best Friends Challenge with Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel” – Jimmy Fallon
  3. “Hozier – Sorry Not Sorry, Demi Lovato Cover” – BBC Radio
  4. “Learning German in 3 Days” – Damon and Jo
  5. “Katie Goes Viral” – College Humor

Free iTunes Apps (https://www.apple.com/itunes/charts)

  1. TikTok: Real Short Videos
  2. YouTube
  3. Instagram
  4. Snapchat
  5. Messenger

Paid iTunes Apps (https://www.apple.com/itunes/charts)

  1. Facetunes
  2. Camera+2
  3. Hot Schedules
  4. Toca Life: Neighborhood
  5. PlantSnap Plant Identification

Helpful Resources Sites For Reviews and Research

Written by DAN ISTVANIK, who is our lead content writer and a 5th to 8th-grade pastor in Lancaster, PA. He has been working in youth ministry for over 22 years, serving churches in Pennsylvania, Louisiana, Wisconsin, Ohio, and Virginia. He is a speaker, ministry coach, writer, and a contributing to a variety of other great ministry resources. He shares daily middle school ministry specific resources, and hints on his own site “The Middle Years”  at middleyearsministry.com.

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