Negative Effects Of Pop Music

“Since the 1950s, popular music has been widely criticized for contributing to a variety of problematic behaviors among adolescents” (Brown). The new styles of music was important and often blamed for causing teen rebellion, as the songs of this era were considered inappropriate and the main cause of teens’ negative behavior; such as constant drinking and the abusing of alcohol use, drug use, and the act of being extremely violent toward one another. Famous musical artist such as Elvis Presley and the Beatles were usually associated with this rebellion. The Parents Music Resource Center blamed music for teen behavior, and eventually had parental advisory labels put on certain music packaging. It impacted the conflict as a whole because the music and artists

This reference shows how music lays a foundation of teenage values beyond school or parental teaching. A musical artist can influence a young mind by the chosen lyrics with greater effectiveness than formal education. Music can control or enhance moods. A good mood can get better or a bad mood can be worked through with the choice of music. A bad mood can also be enhanced by lyrics about suicide or violent behavior. Teens can also use music to gain information about the adult world, to withdraw from social contact, facilitate friendships and social settings, or to help them create a personal identity. (O'Toole, 1997)

The above article discusses a study conducted that tested whether exposure to rap music increases sexism within males. The study did not give any direct concrete evidence that rap music causes misogyny. Yet it brought up some useful insights that were supported by the study. Initially, they discovered that listening to non-sexist songs still led to some type of sexist behavior. This finding is relevant as it shows that it might not solely be the lyrics that are responsible for sexism within music. People can be instinctively associating rap music with being misogynistic. Another finding was that misogynistic lyrics prime young males to behave sexually aggressive temporarily. This reading is important for this topic as it disregards the popular belief that rap music causes sexism, but it also takes in account that rap music can prime young males to be slightly more aggressive. While this study cannot be used to promote any type of censorship in media, it can still encourage the music industry to reevaluate the material they are launching to public, especially the young generation.

Music is important to everybody, we all have that one song that makes us happy or sad just from listening to one line in the song, but what if the song made you violent. Lyrics in music could be the reason for violent tendencies in people’s behavior. There have been studies shown that lyrics in some music promote violence and crimes started because of musical influence. Through all genres of music, if closely inspected, the lyrics show a hint of violence.

Encyclopedia Britannica defines music as, “art concerned with combining vocal or instrumental sounds for beauty of form or emotional expression, usually according to cultural standards of rhythm, melody, and, in most Western music, harmony”. Music was considered beautiful at one time. Musical artist in this day and age put their drive to succeed strongly before their personal morals. The explicit language warnings on music covers are not enough. The foul language usage in music remains not the only concept that continues influencing the younger generation. Pop, country, R&B, and rap music continues having an immense impact on influencing the American youth. The biggest factor of these music

Music has an important role in children and adolescent’s life. Mainstream music is heard almost everywhere whether it’s on a laptop, phone, radio, cd, etc. The accessibility allows anyone to hear it at any place and situation, alone or with friends. The lyrics can have a big impact on everyone’s life’s differently. Lyrics have become more explicit in their references to misogyny, drugs and violence particularly in certain genres, like rap. I used to love to listen to rap all the time, never paying attention to what the rapper was saying. According to the dictionary rap means “Words (that) are recited rapidly and rhythmically over a prerecorded, typically electronic instrumental backing” I used to listen to rap because

According to researchers Christenson and Roberts, “American adolescents spend…between four and five hours a day listening to music…[which is] at least as much time as they spend watching standard television fare and more than they spend with their friends outside of school” (8). Music media influences the lives of adolescents in a number of ways. It “…alters and intensifies their moods, furnishes much of their slang [and] provides models for how they act…” (Christenson and Roberts 8). Music plays an important role in the lives of adolescents. They spend as much time, if not more, listening to music as they spend watching television, and therefore, music deserves additional scholarly attention.

In the late 1950s, Rock and Roll began to pick up and get very popular. It became big among young people of the generation. While it was found captivating for teens, many adults at the time formed strong criticisms and dissatisfactions of the music. They tended to believe that Rock brought out “animalism and vulgarity” (Kornhaber). Nowadays, the very popular music choice amongst teenagers is rap. Just like what happened with Rock and Roll, there is a great deal of criticism about this music choice as well.

The impact music has on the life of people is very powerful. It can easily revamp the way people act and take control of people’s emotions. Rap music is a very common and popular type of music within the world today. Rap music has existed since the mid 1970s, nowadays it is practically everywhere. It is easily a central focus of many young people’s lives. Rap music was essentially intended to create a voicing of one’s frustrations and disappointment with society, it has recently taken a turn and is creating a negative impact on the youth. It is the root that influences and encourages degrading women, violence, and is filled with sexual content.

Yes there is a negative impact of music on the youth but can it be preventable?

Women are seen through the eyes of the music industry as little more than sex objects; causing them to feel of no worth, leading to extremely dangerous long term mental illnesses and eating disorders. Music lyrics/video is a key source of messages that advocate and encourage drinking, smoking, drug abuse, sexuality, sex-role stereotyping, sex and violence. Exposure to music videos, has also been correlated with early uptake of sexual activity. (AMCA, 2014)

The corruptness of music today seems to be linked to the crude language and aggression found particularly in hip-hop and rap music. Some rap artists use vulgar language in their lyrics that are easily adoptable by teens (Holden). Not only have certain lyrics influenced the way teens speak but also their actions. An article on Headliners.org stated that “lyrics in the music are too violent and are to blame for many problems.” The problems range anywhere from suicide and aggression towards women to underage drinking and drug use. Lyrics are not only to blame, but also what people see in artists’ music videos can affect what they do (Doaks). The urge to emulate these rap musicians has escalated quickly causing a spike in rebellious tendencies among teens.

Some researchers believe that it is the use of drugs and peer pressure lead to sexual activity. Young women from non-urban low income neighborhoods watch hip hop rap at least 14 hours a week are likely to practice sexual behaviors. Studies show that teens who entertain the sexual act or violence are likely to practice the activity which will eventually cause an increase in teen pregnancy. For instance “1.5 times more likely to get a sexually transmitted disease, use drugs, or drink alcohol.”Sid Kirchheimer,2003.(FINISH PARAGRAPH) (Reason 3 paragraph 1 )

Music has more of an influence on the people in the twenty-first century than it ever has before. Teens, especially, are surrounded by some sort of it in everything they are around or do. Many disagree on how music impacts one’s mental state and behavior; however, all agree that the impact depends on how the listener feels before and how they allow it to influence them.

Although rap started out as a force for positive social change, popular subgenres of hip-hop such as "gangsta rap" have since deteriorated much of the art form's value to society. Impressionable young people throughout the decades are negatively affected by rappers' obsessions with guns, drugs, sex, and material possessions. Record companies do not seem to care about the negative content as long as it sells albums, parents over the years are encourages to assume a greater role in regulating their children's listening habits. Hip-Hop has been the proclamation that young people are independent and intolerant of what they consider to be adult society, which they frequently view as hypocritical.