Quarterly Youth Trends Report
Winter 2015
RCMP Youth Engagement Section
National Crime Prevention Services
Research completed: November 1st, 2014
Table of Contents
Introduction ......................................................................................................... 3
Lifestyles .............................................................................................................. 4
Entertainment ...................................................................................................... 8
Lingo ................................................................................................................... 10
Internet Trends: Sites, Apps and Online Communications .......................... 12
Summary of Links ............................................................................................. 15
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Introduction
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Youth Engagement Section (YES)
and the Centre for Youth Crime Prevention (CYCP) (www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/cycpcpcj/index-eng.htm) aim to provide resources to help youth make healthy,
informed lifestyle choices, think critically about issues and get involved in their
communities.
The purpose of the Youth Trends Report (YTR) is to give police officers and
others who work with youth a general overview of lifestyles, entertainment,
websites and communication trends that are popular among Canadian youth.
This is the thirty-second (32nd) edition of the YTR. The research for this edition
was completed on November 1st, 2014.
The publishers of the YTR have developed an online survey to determine if the
report is meeting the needs of those using it. Please take a few minutes to
provide your feedback by completing this survey: rcmp-grc.sondagessurveys.ca/s/Youth_Trends_Report_Feedback/?l=eng.
Although we are representatives of the Canadian youth population, we recognize
that we are unable to speak for all youth in Canada. This report includes
examples of what’s happening in youth culture, and links1 are provided for further
information on topics of relevance and/or interest.
While most sections of the report have been translated, this report is specific to
the trends of Anglophone youth. If you require information specific to
Francophone youth, please refer to the French version of the report.
Additionally, with the exception of this introduction, a “youth-friendly” language
and casual tone are evident throughout this document. We feel that an important
aspect of youth culture is understanding how the “voices” of youth sound.
1
Some links lead to sites belonging to entities not subject to the Official Languages Act. Information on
these sites is only available in the language of the site. Links may also lead to sites that are not products
of the Government of Canada and are provided for your convenience only. The Government of Canada
and the RCMP are not responsible for the accuracy or the reliability of their content.
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Lifestyles
Along with the snow, ice, and below freezing temperatures, winter months can
bring an increase of both excitement and anxiety for youth. Religious holidays,
exams, and the winter break are all characteristics of this time of year.
Religious Holidays
Winter features a variety of religious holidays. The Jewish holiday Hannukkah,
which celebrates the commemoration of the Jewish reclamation of Jerusalem,
begins on December 16th and ends on December 24th. Christmas Day in
Christianity marks the birth of Jesus on December 25th, while Kwanzaa is a
holiday that celebrates African culture, history, and unity and is celebrated on
December 26th.
Exams
For the majority of high school, college, and university students, December and
January signify exam time. Students applying for post-secondary education may
find this time particularly stressful since exams may determine which program(s)
they get accepted into. Depending on the students’ workload, studying could
include long hours of reading and cramming.
Energy drinks may be used as a way to stay awake and alert during exam
periods, but excessive use can pose some serious risks to the heart. Adderall, an
accessible pharmaceutical, is also growing in popularity as a “study drug” to help
students maximize their study time. Adderall is a prescription drug; using it
without a prescription is illegal and could lead to addiction, cause dangerous side
effects or result in criminal charges.
Winter Holidays and Financial Stress
The winter months are an exciting time for youth, especially since they have days
off of school for the holidays. In their free time, youth may be inclined to:




Shop for gifts
Ski/snowboard
Spend more time online
Travel
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Winter holidays can also be very expensive. Between buying gifts, donating to
charity, and travelling to see friends/family, money issues may be extra sensitive
at this time. Through social media and upon returning to school, youth may be
comparing gifts and trips, leaving some youth whose family cannot afford
extravagant holidays to feel left out or jealous. Similarly, those who do not
celebrate Christmas may also feel excluded.
Family get-togethers can mean that conflict may be magnified, especially if family
members are separated during the holidays (ex. family member overseas, in jail
or children of divorced parents).
New Year’s Eve
Celebrations on New Year’s Eve (falls on a Wednesday this year) are often
associated with parties, alcohol and making resolutions. Youth may be going to
unsupervised parties since parents may be out at their own events. Alcohol and
drugs may be present and readily available in venues where there is no adult
supervision. Furthermore, youth who are not invited to parties or who are not
interested in attending may feel left out since New Year’s Eve comes with the
pressure to do something exciting.
Popular resolutions for the New Year include losing weight, eating better,
exercising more, and/or performing better in sports and school. The pressure to
live up to expectations may provide a great deal of stress for youth. This stress
could lead to depression, general unhappiness and/or unhealthy ways of
achieving these goals.
Valentine’s Day
In high school, Valentine’s Day is typically celebrated by giving valentines,
delivering flowers or “candy-grams” (small bags of candy with a message
attached) to peers, crushes, girlfriends or boyfriends. If students don’t receive
valentines, if they are single, or don’t have any special plans, the social and
cultural norms may isolate them from others. For struggling GLBTQ youth (Gay,
Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, Two-Spirited, Questioning or Queer),
Valentine’s Day can be further alienating because the emphasis in many
communities is often on heterosexual relationships.
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Drug Trends
Powdered Caffeine: The death of a teen from Ohio last spring has prompted the
U.S Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to warn the public about the
consequences of powdered caffeine. The teen’s body contained 23 times the
amount of caffeine found in a regular cup of coffee. Powered caffeine is typically
sold online making its availability widespread, and could likely be trending
amongst Canadian teens (no publicized incidents in Canada yet). Health Canada
has yet to comment on the substance.
globalnews.ca/news/1468802/why-the-fda-is-warning-parents-about-powderedcaffeine/
Powdered and Inhaling Alcohol: Some officials in Denver are speaking out
about teens using alcohol vapors and powdered alcohol to get intoxicated.
Inhaling or consuming powdered alcohol is far more dangerous than drinking, as
the powdered or inhaled dose goes directly into the bloodstream and is more
potent than the liquid form. There are videos available on Youtube that show how
to turn alcohol into powdered and vaporous forms. There are also commercial
products available online that vaporize alcohol for consumption, including the
Vapshot and Vaportini.
www.vapshot.com/
www.vaportini.com/
Commercialized Baked Goods with Narcotics: This past September,
Edmonton police seized baked goods, products, and drugs from a local music
venue. A public tip sent to the police sparked their surveillance on the venue.
Upon investigation, police discovered that the baked goods sold at the venue
were mainly made with marijuana oil, which generally contain concentrated
amounts of THC. Some treats also included hash and psilocybin (mushrooms).
Based on police surveillance, many of the customers buying these products were
teens.
www.infomedia.gc.ca/ps-sp/articles/unrestricted/2014/09/ps20149328656140_15.htm
Counterfeit OxyContin: Authorities are investigating the deaths of two men in
Saskatoon this past September that may be connected to counterfeit OxyContin,
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which resembles synthetic OxyContin 80. This new variation of OxyCotin
contains extremely dangerous ingredients which may increase the likelihood of
an overdose. They have not released the contents of the drug that was found,
but it could be similar to that of fentalyl-laced heroin (mentioned in Fall Youth
Trends Report 2014). The Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse has also
released a drug alert on this issue.
www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatoon/fake-oxycontin-may-have-led-to-od-deathsof-2-in-saskatoon-1.2774664?cmp=rss
www.ccsa.ca/Resource%20Library/CCSA-CCENDU-Oxycontin-Fentanyl-Alert2014-en.pdf
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Entertainment
Movies
Some highly anticipated big-budget films will debut on the big screen this
upcoming holiday season. Here are some that are worth keeping an eye out for:
Wild (December 5th), Inherent Vice (December 12th), Exodus: God and Kings
(December 12th), The Hobbit: The Battle of Five Armies (December 19th), and
Night and the Museum: Secret of the Tomb (December 19th). The new year will
see movies such as: Blackhat (January 16th), The Wedding Ringer (January 16th)
Spare Parts (January 16th), Still Alice (January 16th), The Boy Next Door (January
23rd), Mortdecai (January 23rd), Black Sea (January 23rd), Taken 3 (January 28th),
Project Almanac (January 30th), Jupiter Ascending (February 6th) . Youth from
across the country will be piling into movie theaters to watch these flicks, and
make critiques of their own.
www.imdb.com
www.cinemaclock.com
Sports
Most major North American sports including NHL, NBA, NFL and the MLS are
currently in full swing. The NFL playoffs in January continue until the league’s
49th Super Bowl edition which will be played on February 1st, 2015 in the
University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale Arizona, the home of the Arizona
Cardinals. In December, Canada will host the 2015 IIHF World Junior
Championship. Canada’s most promising under-20 hockey players will be looking
to win gold for the nation. Games begin on December 26th and run through early
January; the host cities this year are Toronto and Montreal.
Comedy Tours
This winter’s comedy tour features a handful of hilarious performances. Russell
Peters, Jerry Seinfeld and Demetri Martin are just a few to look out for! As
laughter appeals to all youth, groups of youngsters may go out to comedy shows
to decompress and relax during stressful times. Amateur nights are usually
cheap and just as funny, which may draw in larger crowds of youth in more urban
city centres. Youth may also chose to watch comedy sketches online if they can’t
get out to see one live.
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www.toronto-theatre.com/index_comedy.php
Music
Youth may grow bored of Christmas carols and excessive holiday cheer, but they
can still enjoy the music scene. Here are some upcoming concerts that they may
be inclined to check out: City and Colour, Johnny Marr, Justin Timberlake,
Hunter Hayes, LeAnn Rimes, Bryan Adams, Cher, The Tragically Hip, Sam
Smith, Billy Idol, Foreigner, Black Keys, Usher, Lights, and Brad Paisley will
be touring and making stops in Canadian cities! These artists will be attracting
youth of all ages to come out and jam to their tracks.
www.billboard.com
www.top40-charts.com
www.cmt.com/shows/dyn/top_twenty_countdown/series.jhtml
www.canadianhit30.com
concertful.com/concerts/canada/
www.musiqueplus.com (in French only)
www.musimax.com (in French only)
Television
Netflix continues to rise in popularity amongst young Canadians, and is
becoming an alternative to regular television. With Netflix allowing its users to
simultaneously stream from three different devices for regular memberships, and
from five different devices with their family memberships, it allows youth to use it
unlimitedly. With this kind of access, youth may become more likely to indulge in
movies and TV shows from the comfort of their couch.
Many TV programs are up for renewal in exciting upcoming seasons. Some of
the more popular ones include: “The Big Bang Theory,” “The Good Wife,” “The
Mentalist,” “Teen Wolf,” “Castle,” “Brooklyn Nine-Nine”, “Person of Interest”,
“Modern Family”, “American Horror Story” “Elementary,” “True Detective,”
“Archer,” “Supernatural,” “Arrow,” “The Voice” and “Glee.” A French TV show
that will likely be generating a lot of attention is “30 Vies.” Many youth across the
nation will be following these shows and scheduling them into their weeks.
www.imdb.com
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Lingo
It is important to remember that youth often use a completely different language
than adults. The slang used by youth varies a great deal depending on their
geographic location and their group of friends.
Keep up with all the trendy words and phrases so that you can stay in the loop
and understand what youth are saying.
Please note: This section is specific to Anglophone youth; for lingo popular
among Francophone youth, please refer to the French version of the Youth
Trends Report.
Here are some examples of expressions that youth are using, along with what
they mean:
“Brah”: A term used to mean brother or “bro.” This will be used to reference a
good male friend.
Example:
Josh: “Brah, tell me you see this right now, this guy is running
across the street naked.”
“TL;DR”: An expression used in electronic communication that means “Too long;
didn’t read,” that will often be used after a long rant, run-on sentences or posts.
This can be seen on the Internet or through text messaging. After the long post,
the respondent will reply “tl;dr” indicating to the poster that they have not read
their post in its entirety.
Example:
Paige: I can’t believe how hard that test was, Mr. Huro never
told us it would be that hard. He never told us to study those
sections. It’s not fair that my mark will drop so much. I am not
happy with this. What did you think Mark? Will your parents be
mad? Mine will be for sure. I don’t really know what to do right
now.
Mark: tl;dr.
“I’m Out” or “I’m off this”: A phrase meaning that someone does not agree with
the situation, and they are walking away from it.
Example:
Dean: “You guys want to egg Mr. Johnson’s house?”
Jack: “I’m out. That sounds like a dumb idea. I’m going home
guys.”
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Text Abbreviations (Texting or Instant Messaging)
Youth often use abbreviations while communicating instead of writing out full
words or phrases. Here are a few of the common acronyms that are being used.
AAR: At Any Rate
AISI: As I See It
BC: Be Cool
CFY: Calling For You
CUA: See You Around
EMFBI: Excuse Me For Butting In
HTH: Hope This Helps
HMU: Hit Me Up
ICEDI: I Can’t Even Discuss It
PLU: People Like Us
RTBS: Reason To Be Single
TLDR: Too Long, Didn’t Read
For more resources on acronyms, visit: www.netlingo.com/emailsh.cfm and
www.transl8it.com/cgiwin/index.pl. For popular text messaging and chatting short
forms, visit: www.webopedia.com/quick_ref/textmessageabbreviations.asp or
www.texted.ca/app/en/acronictionary.
Also, check out www.urbandictionary.com for words and definitions of which
you’re unsure. However, be aware that Urban Dictionary is open-source (which
means that the content can be edited by readers and is not necessarily based on
reliable sources), so credibility is sometimes questionable.
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Internet Trends: Sites, Apps and Online
Communication
Facebook – www.facebook.com
Facebook has made many changes to their website recently. One of the biggest
change is that Facebook is now able to track the user’s Internet browsing. This
feature has been added in order to personalize the ads that appear on the user’s
page, (i.e. if a person visits a store’s website, ads for that store will then begin
appearing on the user’s Facebook). Another new feature is bookmarking. This
allows users to reference anything from photo albums to events in order to view
them later. No one will be able to see that something has been bookmarked
except for the user who bookmarked the information, and these references can
be deleted at any time (www.cbc.ca/news/technology/facebook-save-featurelaunched-1.2714325).
Possible issues: If a user has an open profile or has people on their friends list
that they don’t know, the bookmarking feature can put them at risk of stalking,
especially if they divulge personal information. Users should remember to keep
their settings set to private so that strangers cannot view their personal
information.
Facebook Messenger – www.facebook.com/mobile/messenger
This app allows Facebook users to message their friends while on the go. While
this app was originally optional, Facebook has now decided to make it
mandatory. Users will now need it to view or send messages from their inbox. So
long as they are connected to WiFi or data, they can easily communicate with
others. Messenger also now allows users to record and send videos. Users
simply press and hold the same button they would hold if they were going to take
a picture; once they release the button, the video sends immediately. The button
is located on-screen.
Possible issues: Due to the fact that videos are sent instantaneously, users
may record themselves and send videos without thinking about the
consequences. This could lead to issues of cyberbullying and sexting.
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Facebook’s Slingshot – www.facebook.com/slingshot
Facebook has also created a smartphone application that allows users to send
and receive limited-time pictures and videos, similar to Snapchat. Once a few
seconds elapse, the received picture will disappear forever. Slingshot users can
only view a picture they receive once they send one back. Facebook accounts
are not required to use this app as the application allows the user to search their
phone contacts to connect with others.
(business.financialpost.com/2014/06/17/facebook-inc-launches-slingshot-to-rivalsnapchat/?__lsa=6ac2-9d0c).
Possible Issues: Slingshot may be used as a medium to send inappropriate
images and videos. Users may feel safe sending images because their pictures
and videos will only be on screen for a limited amount of time, but screenshots of
the images can still be taken.
Whisper – whisper.sh/
Whisper is a website that allows people to create accounts and upload images
with text to confess their secrets online. These confessions can be happy, silly,
or dark. Many of the confessions are sexually explicit. Furthermore, the ability to
upload images could allow for online exploitation as pictures can be of anything/
anyone, and a user doesn’t have to own a photo to post it. The posts are mainly
anonymous, but the website has a section called “Meet Up” where users are able
to share personal information.
Possible issues: As Whisper is more geared towards staying anonymous, a
user can never be sure that the person they are talking to is really who they say
they are.
Yik Yak – yikyakapp.com/
Yik Yak is a new social media application that allows users to share their
thoughts with the public. Much like Twitter, Yik Yak allows users to share their
thoughts and links via status updates. However, unlike Twitter, Yik Yak is
location-based, meaning that posts will only reach people in the same area as
the poster. When people “agree” with the Yak it will get “likes,” and if people don’t
like it, it will get “downvotes.” Users are able to report any Yak that they find
offensive if a Yak is marked as offensive by two or more people, the Yik Yak
administrators will remove it. All Yaks are posted anonymously.
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Possible issues: Because Yik Yak is completely anonymous, users are more
likely to post Yaks without thinking about the potential consequences. This
makes it easier for individuals to cyberbully others and to be victims of
cyberbullying themselves. Furthermore, Yik Yak automatically updates the user’s
location via the Smartphone’s GPS automatically each time they open the
application. Some users may not be aware that they’re able to manually switch
this feature off.
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Summary of Links
Lifestyles
globalnews.ca/news/1468802/why-the-fda-is-warning-parents-about-powderedcaffeine/
www.vapshot.com/
www.palcohol.com/
www.infomedia.gc.ca/ps-sp/articles/unrestricted/2014/09/ps20149328656140_15.htm
www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatoon/fake-oxycontin-may-have-led-to-od-deathsof-2-in-saskatoon-1.2774664?cmp=rss
www.ccsa.ca/Resource%20Library/CCSA-CCENDU-Oxycontin-Fentanyl-Alert2014-en.pdf
Entertainment
www.imdb.com
www.cinemaclock.com
www.billboard.com
www.top40-charts.com
www.toronto-theatre.com/index_comedy.php
www.cmt.com/shows/dyn/top_twenty_countdown/series.jhtml
www.canadianhit30.com
www.concerttour.org
www.cinemaclock.com
www.musiqueplus.com (in French only)
www.musimax.com (in French only)
www.netflix.ca
www.nfl.com
www.nba.com
www.nhl.com
www.mlssoccer.com
www.hockeycanada.ca
Lingo
www.netlingo.com/emailsh.cfm
www.transl8it.com/cgiwin/index.pl
www.webopedia.com/quick_ref/textmessageabbreviations.asp
www.texted.ca/app/en/acronictionary.
www.urbandictionary.com
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Websites and Internet Trends
www.facebook.com
whisper.sh/
facebook.com/mobile/messenger
yikyakapp.com/
facebook.com/slingshot
business.financialpost.com/2014/06/17/facebook-inc-launches-slingshot-to-rivalsnapchat/?__lsa=6ac2-9d0c
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