The ongoing rapid rise in the cost of a college education has been troubling for some time. The increasing costs are troubling for graduates and the economy. For current college students a new reality is making an already challenging situation more difficult for those from families with the lowest household incomes. More specifically, the Hechinger Report considered the net price change students experienced from the 2008-09 school year to the 2011-12 year. Read More …
Trends
Living in Happy Land (#1373)
I often tell people I live in paradise. It appears that many experts agree with my assessment. The latest statistic to support my claim about Naples (and Marco Island), FL comes from a Gallup study on the wellbeing of American communities. It ranks Naples-Marco Island as 7th highest level of wellbeing among the nearly 200 metro areas considered. A few years ago I shared Naples rank as the #2 happiest seaside town. Earlier this year, Marco Island was named the #1 island Read More …
Young Adults = Non-Institutionally Oriented (#1368)
The latest Pew Research Center report indicates that Millennials (those now ranging in age from 18 to 33), are unmoored from institutions. This reality is seen most clearly in statistics relating to political preference (50% are independents), religious connection (29% are unaffiliated), and marriage (26% are married). Both percentages have risen significantly in recent years. So What? The trend toward less and less institutional affiliation by America's youngest adults is either Read More …
Moving to Mobile (#1367)
I still remember a time when nearly everyone I knew relied on a desktop at work (or at school) as well as at home. Not only did everyone have a desktop, those machines were the primary way people did any and all computing -- including online endeavors. Within a few years stories of that world will amaze younger crowds as much as stories of cell phones in huge carry bags amaze today's smart phone users. Recent statistics indicate the move to mobile is as or more dramatic than most Read More …
Happy Bday Internet (#1362)
I am here to offer a belated birthday wish to our dear friend the internet on the occasion of its 25th birthday, which was celebrated earlier this month. While computing was a part of my early education experiences, going online came later. My initial online endeavors were an exercise in curiosity and an attempt to be a part of the leading edge. Somehow in just a few decades I traveled from a world in which the internet was interesting but had no real purpose to a reality in which Read More …
Divorce & Cohabitation (#1361)
New research released by the Council on Contemporary Families suggests that most people have misunderstood the role cohabitation plays in the divorce rate because they have been asking the wrong questions of the data. Rather than comparing those who cohabit before marriage to those who do not, researchers should be considering whether or not cohabitation is actually a significant factor in the longevity of a marital relationship. Initial findings suggest that "the age Read More …
Drive-Through Prayer (#1360)
After last week's piece about a drive-in church, the idea of drive-through prayer doesn't seem strange at all. Estero United Methodist Church, a church near where I live, is providing drive-through prayer every Wednesday evening from 5:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m through April. Since they are located on a busy road, discipleship director John Halley considers it to be "one way to put ourselves out there and to give folks the opportunity to come by and receive the blessing of Read More …
Successful People (#1359)
Eric Barker, the founder of the Barking Up The Wrong Tree blog, recently shared what he believes the world's most successful people have in common. He suggests that we can become like them if we: Stay Busy Just Say No Know What You Are Build Networks Create Good Luck Have Grit Make Awesome Mistakes Find Mentors. So What? I love this list! I would not argue that a single item should be removed. I do, however, think that some organizations (including Read More …
#SundayWisdom (#1357)
The CANA Initiative (Convening, Advocating, Networking, Acting) is a collective of faith-engaged people and entities (Roman Catholic, Evangelical, Mainline Protestant, Orthodox, and other Christians who believe the future for Christian life and mission will be different in many ways from the past and present), that brings together diverse and innovative leaders to collaborate in the development of new ways of being Christian. During Lent, Diana Butler Bass – a CANA initiator Read More …
The Francis Effect (#1355)
Pope Francis has been incredibly popular, especially for considering the radical shift he represets. Despite high favorability ratings, early research from the Pew Research Center suggests there isn't strong evidence for a "Francis effect" that is leading to changes in how American Catholics approach their religion. More specifically: There has been no measurable rise in the percentage of Americans who identify as Catholic. Nor has there been a statistically significant Read More …