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MalorieDemo

Mrs.Heilig
English1Honors
29March2016
EffectsofModernMusicLyricsonChildren
Childrennowadayssingabouttwerkingandshootinggunswhenafewdecadesagothey
weresingingaboutthewheelsonthebus.Musicplaysahugeroleonchildren'sdevelopment,
accordingtoaFederalTradeCommissionReportin2000childrenintheUnitedStatesspendon
averagethirtyeighthoursperweekexposedtoentertainmentmediacontaining,television,music
videos,videogamesandmovies(Rabkin).Modernmusicisharmfultoachild'sdevelopment
becauseofthenegativeinfluencesithasonchildren.Ontheotherhandsomearguethatmodern
musicispositiveonchildrenbecauseofthepositivityinthemusic,creativity,anditcould
distractthemfromhardtimes.Studiesshowbothpositiveandnegativeeffectsonkids,butthe
negativeeffectsprevailoverthepositiveeffects.Listeningtothelyricsofmodernmusicis
harmfulbecauseofsexualreferences,violence,andvulgarity.
Modernmusiccontainsmanyreferencestosexualbehavior.Themusicisfoundonthe
radio,internet,orontelevisionthiscanaffectachild'sdevelopmentbyencouragingthemto
engageinsexualactivities.Intoday'ssocietymostpeoplethinkitisappallingiftheyhearafour
yearoldrappingabouttwerking,havingintercouse,orflirtingaroundwithmultiplepeople
becauseexposingthemtothatthisyoungiswrong.In2005asurveywastakenbyStanford
Universityaskingadolescentsiftheybelieveiftheirmusicisassociatedwithbadhabits,2,760
Americanadolescentsdemonstratethatlisteningtomusicandwatchingmusicvideosmore

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frequentlyisassociatedwithincreasedsexualbehaviorsandalcoholuse(Rabkin).Exposing
childrentothismusicmakesthemthinkitissociallynormaltodowhatthemusicisspeaking
about.AccordingtoProfessorDavidHargreaves,teenagerswholistentoalotofrapmusicare
muchmorelikelytodrivefasterandhaveunsafesex,toparaphraseHargreaveshasfoundthat
rapmusicleadstokidsengagingintomoreriskyactivities.(Walker)Althoughthemusic
containssexualreferences,theartistandsexsymbolMadonnabelievesmusicismywayof
provingthatIcanbesexywhilestillstrivingforsuccess(Lai).Ontheotherhandtherearemany
waysofbeingsuccessfulratherthansingingsongsaboutsex,especiallywhenchildrenbegin
singingthem.
Moderndaymusiclyricscontainmanyviolentlyricswhichcanbeveryharmfulfora
child.Violenceisahugefactoronwhyitisnotokayorsociallyacceptableforkidstohear
popularmusicsuchasraporrockbecausethosegenresofmusiccontainalotofviolenceintheir
lyrics.Kidsinmodernsocietyareexposedtoviolencequiteoftenunintentionally,Children's
DefenseFunddidastudythatstatesriskfactorssuchaspoverty,drugandalcoholabuse,gang
participation,andpervasiveviolenceinallformsofmediaareblamedforthetenchildrenand
teensthatdieeverydayintheUnitedStates.Restated,ayounglifeislostevery2andhours
duetoviolence.(Turner).ChildrendieonadailybasisdueintheUnitedStatestoviolence.A
studywasperformedin2002byNorthwesternUniversityconcludesthatyouthlooksforrole
modelstohelpshapetheirvaluesandbehavior,whenchildrenchoosepoorrolemodels,they
engageinviolentacts,antisocialbehavior,andbelieveviolenceisnormaland
admirable(Marriott).Thestudyisprovingiswhenchildrenglamorizebadrolemodelsthey
oftenengageinbadbehavior.Althoughthemusiccontainsviolentreferences,accordingtoan

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iconicrapperTupacShakurin1993,Rapisntintendedtobeharmful,it'sawayforpeopleto
knowwhatgoesonoutsideoftheirownlives.Mostpeopledonotknowthestrugglesofliving
onthestreetsonadaytodaybasis,IfearformylifefromtheminuteIwakeuptothemomentI
gobacktobed.(Newman)Shakurissayingishebelievesthatrapletspeopleknowwhatis
happeninginotherpeople'slivesratherthanoutsidersbeingoblivioustotheirstruggles.
Childrenshouldnotbelisteningtothestrugglesonthestreetbecauseitcouldinfluencetheir
behaviorinanegativeway.
Vulgarityisfoundinmanyentertainmentformssuchastelevision,socialmedia,and
music,thisisharmfultoachild'sdevelopmentbecauseitcanteachthemthatusingprofanityis
acceptableandappropriate.In1990popularrapgroup,2LiveCrewsalbumNastyAsThey
WannaBeiscurrentlybannedtoselltothepublicforits226usesoftheFword,163
referencestotheBword,117referencestogenitalia,87explicitdescriptionsofsex,and42
mentionsofthebuttocks(Riley).Thatamountofvulgaritycausedanawarenessforparentsof
themusictolistentothelyricstheirchildrenarelisteningto.Therapgroup2LiveCrewwas
nottheonlybandthatsparkedcontroversyintheUnitedStates,in1992popularrapgroup,
N.W.AssongF***thePolicecontainedvulgarmaterialthatcausedriotsafterconcerts
towardspoliceaccordingtothePolicyReview(Schwartz).Reactionstothissongtowardspolice
wereverynegative,whichleadtothebandgettingmanylawsuitsandnegativeattentionfromthe
government.ThenagaintheirarepeopleliketherapperSnoopDoggwhobelievepeopleare
stuckinoldwaysanddontknowhowtohandlecreativemusic(Lebrecht),manyartistsbelieve
theirmusiciscreativeinitsownway.Themusicisdifferentfromdifferentgenres,butthereare

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otherwaystobecreativeratherthanusingprofanityinalmosteveryline.Childrenwilllearnthat
itisokaytouseprofanityregularlybylisteningtothismusic.
Modernmusichasdifferenteffectsonkids,butitismoreharmfulmorethanharmless.
Childrencanuseotheroutletsforexpressingthemselvesotherthansingingalongtomusicthat
containssexualreferences,violence,andvulgarity.Althoughthemusichasitspositiveeffects
suchascreativity,distractionsfromwhatmightbegoingonintheirlife,andpositivitythe
harmfuleffectsaremoresignificantthanthepositiveeffects.Childrenlisteningtotheirfavorite
musicartistsabouttheactivitiestheyaredoingcanbeharmfulforchildrentolistenbecauseof
whatthemusiciscontaining.Childrenshouldnotlistentothelyricsofmodernmusicbecause
theycon`tainsexualreferences,violence,andvulgarity.Whatparentwantstoheartheirchild
singsongsabouthavingintercourse,violence,orusinganexcessiveamountofvulgarity?