Midmorning With Aundrea - November 6, 2020 (Part 1)

(Part 1 of 4) Cyberbullying is still a worrisome issue.

And the pandemic is changing the way the teenagers of Generation Z are spending their money.

Th the pandemic has turned school into a virtual experience for millions of kids.

But researchers say cyberbullying is still happening and it's not just among teenagers.

Nancy chen explains.

Covid forced students at this north carolina school to take classes at home.

Shellen white says that's when remote learning became a lesson in cyberbullying for her son jaylen.

"once he starte logging into zoom for his classes, we started to receive messages."

Someone apparently hacked the sixth grader's computer and sent messages like 'i will find and kill jaylen' "he can' understand why someone would want to bully him and he doesn't understand why someone would want to kill him," new research finds more than 14 percent of tweens, 9 to 12 years old, have experienced cyberbullying.

"it affected thei feelings about themselves, it affected their friendships."

Professor justin patchin , with the cyberbullying research center, says it's not clear if online bullying is increasing now that kids are spending more time on devices.

But another report 'did' find a 70 percent increase in hate speech, when the pandemic started, between teenagers during online chats.

"the vast majorit of children who are cyberbullied are also being bullied at school."

Patchin says it's important to make sure kids can protect themselves.

"work with them t understand the tools that the app or the game or the site have to kind of thwart online abuse.

So, do they know how to block somebody, do they know how to report somebody."

He says it's also important for kids to feel comfortable enough to talk to their parents about cyberbullying when they experience it.

Nancy chen, cbs news, new york.

Teenagers are buying less clothing and more video games.

The pandemic is changing the way the gen z age group spends money - and causing teens to tighten the purse strings like never before.

Elise preston has more.

Alexis burkhalter is a high school junior in columbus, ohio.

Her passion is competitive tennis& nats playing&.

And until the pandemic, she enjoyed trips to the mall.

I think it was really just a good way to hang out with your friends, get stuff you need teenage shoppers are an important slice of the nation's economy.

Piper sandler senior research analyst erinn murphy tracks their spending.

:40 this year in particular spending was at the lowest we've seen in the two decades we've conducted this survey the survey says teens spent about 21-hundred dollars this year, a 9-percent drop from last year.

- a trend that's at least partly a result of the pandemic.

2:40 there's clearly things in the wallet that you can't spend on that maybe you used to.

Whether it's going out to eat with your friends or whether it's concerts spending on cosmetics dropped 20-percent.

And apparel was down 11-percent& to about 507- dollars per teen& with nike as the number one brand one area that bucked the trend - video games.

Videogames moved from 8 percent of the total wallet to 10 percent of the wallet another change is in the =way= teenagers shop.

The pandemic drove them out of stores and on-line.

90-percent now say they spend money on e-commerce alexis says she never shopped online before this year.

Now she spends about 120- dollars a month over the internet, money she earns doing chores.

11:33 burkhalter: i want to be sad for myself that i can't see my friends as much and hang out with my friends, but i just know people are in a worse situation than i am.

In fact, nearly half of all teens believe the economy is getting worse - which could mean more belt-tightening in the future.

Ep, cbs news, new york the survey included teens the survey included teens between the age of 13 and 19, from households with an average yearly income of about 67- thousand dollars.

Tuesday, dozens of seniors at columbus high school voted for the first time.

And of those seniors were players from the falcons football team.

And to them, it's a moment they'll never forget.

Wcbi's bobby martinez has the story... having their voices heard..

Sot - ethan conner - senior - falcons football "it gave m motivation to help change the world."

Sot - karon hawk - senior - falcons football "a lot people die for us so we can vote."

But this time..

Off the football field..

Sot - christopher allen - senior - falcons football "this my first tim voting so it felt good."

Was part of the falcons game plan this season..

Falcons head coach joshua pulphus says he is proud of his senior class for wanting to have their voices heard..

Sot - joshua pulphus - falcons head coach "proud and i' honored for my seniors to take the initiative themselves.

They came to me this summer with the idea of trying to make a change wanting to become great citizens wanting to become great leaders in the community."

And from there..

Pulphus, along with fellow students like autumn lagrand and yolanda dawkins..

Created a campaign for students old enough to vote..

Sot - autumn lagrand - family consumer science teacher "the school had big event where they set up tables like all week and they had student volunteers that were already involved in politics knowingly in the school helping everybody register to vote that was old enough."

Dawkins says social media played a major in helping them spread the message as well.

Yolanda dawkins - employment facilitator - chs "immediately when posted.

I had a huge response of people complimenting me, thanking me, we are going to try our best, this is going to be our first time actually voting."

And tuesday was the students big day..

Natvo of student walking to bus to head to polls..

"columbus high i making history everyone..these are our registered voters..

They are getting on the bus..

They are getting ready to vote.."

Sot - ethan conner - sr "it means a lo because you know our coach tells us we are the future.

Sot - christopher allen - sr "it means a lo because i know my vote counts now."

To pulphis... tuesday morning felt like game day..

Because he understands that being a head coach of a football team..

Goes beyond playing under those friday night lights..

Sot - joshua pulphus - falcons head coach "just for them t understand the importance of it, i'm happy to see our culture change here at columbus high school not only on the football field but also in life and affecting these young boys becoming grown men."

Reporting in columbus..

Bobby martinez wcbi news ready for a nice long nap.

We'll check in with the experts of snooze