Music plays a vital role in the lives of young adults and children in the society. The presence of music is everywhere and is easily accessible through the new technologies allowing diverse listeners. The use of new electronic media permits the children access music that often the parent is unaware. The young adults listen to explicit content and as a result are hooked on drugs and acts of violence. The music that the students listen to is in tandem with their behavior in the society. According to research, popular music has the exposure of violence and sexual messages that has the capacity of affecting the behavior of the youth in the society (Wester & Haesacker, 1997).
Most youth spend at least five hours each day listening to music. In essence, music fits in the lives of adolescents since it intensifies their attitudes as well as dominates their talk during social interactions (Wester & Haesacker, 1997). Music has the capacity to determine social groups, modes of dressing among the youth.
Adults use newspapers to gain information while adolescents use music to gain information. This facilitates adolescents’ communication and helps to create personal identity. The genre of music defines the kind of life the youth lead including those of their peers. Popular music glorifies violence, sex culture, drugs, and racism. Music has affected the rise of teen suicide, drug abuse, and other social misdemeanors (Miller, 2004). The current crop of youth culture is predisposed of many difficulties. The music that the young people in the society listen to defines the social and sub-cultural boundaries.
Research stipulates that the exposure of violent lyrics and music lead to aggressive behavior among the youth and the children. Most popular music portrays the world as a bad place contrarily to the reality. The young people that develop an early interest in violent music are likely to suffer the influence of the music than of their parents. Currently there is a tendency among the youth to spend a lot of time listening to music than conversing with the parents.
References
Miller, M. (2004). Rap's Dirty South: From Subculture To Pop Culture. Journal of Popular Music Studies, 16(2), 175-212.
Wester, S. R., Crown, C. L., Quatman, G. L., & Heesacker, M. (1997). The Influence Of Sexually Violent Rap Music On Attitudes Of Men With Little Prior Exposure. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 21(4), 497-508.
