Hip Hop Beyond The Beats And Rhymes Analysis

All across the world, there is one thing that follows you constantly, from the moment you leave you house, to when you enter your car, and even when you are waiting in line at Starbucks, media. From the Radio, to our headphones and the social media applications that are downloaded into your phones, and incorporated into almost every store, media is something that we are rarely if not ever away from. Today on average kids across America spend over two hours of their day in front of a screen. During that time, today’s youth is subjected to inappropriate content through social media. Leaving today’s youth more vulnerable to a life of mental illness. Without limiting the amount of social media intake on today’s youth we subject them to a life

of mental illness. Studies show the effect of social media at a young age forces the idea of gender stereotyping, causing emotional distress, body image dysmorphia, and sexual harassment.
The parents of this generation are familiar with the technology that has been released, and how it can entertain a child when they are upset; however they do not grasp the potential damage that will eventually set in unless parents stop giving technology to their kids at a young age. Giving your child your phone or tablet when they complain of boredom or start to fuss teach their child when they are older all they need to do to escape boredom is to stare in front of a screen.
According to the documentaryHip Hop beyond the Beats and Rhymes society sees a change in content the media releases around 2006.

A high quantity of sex related images and lyrics was produced at this time, and with the high results, the corporations came to the conclusion that sex sells. In the documentary Hip Hop beyond the Beats and Rhymes, by Byron Hurt he discusses, how after major corporations invested heavily into the record labels, society started to see the change in music. The products the industry released for hip hop started to objectify women, and portray violence. Record labels no longer wanted to produce music that talked about feelings, but rather things that men find pleasing; for example, the song: Baby got back by Sir- Mix - a lot, talks about a man who objectifies a women butt. Many songs like that are produced and loved by many, including women, However, society is not aware of the unconscious consequences will later have on the younger generation. Thus, by parents allowing their kids to have their electronic devices that play provocative advertisements and music before watching videos, as they do an errand children are being subjected to discriminating advertisement, commercials, and

lyrics.
Studies show that the content that the media releases has a negative effect on the self esteem of todays youth. Kids grow up and began to watch tv shows that have children at a young age have cell phones, or tablets. They then start to beg their parents for one , and after endless harassment their parents give in, and now a child who is in third grade has a cell phone. Upon having a smart phone, kids will download social media applications, as it is inevitable with all of the advertisements and the social media incorporations that television shows have used. Kids are more vulnerable to cyber bullying and the effect of social media on their self esteem, by continuing to give technology and media to their child at a young age. In a study conducted by Mary Polce-Lynch et al. reported between 116 girls and 93 boys, girls reported lower self esteem through media than boys( Polce-Lynch 1). Proving that all of the media and advertisement that has been socially constructed and released, will affects more women than men.
Upon the release of the discriminating objectifying videos that go viral, television shows that reveal too much skin, and music videos that reiterate what the opposite sex finds attractive, young teens begin to establish ideas of how to pick up a girl from what they watch. Many boys start to hit on girls that only fit what the media and society finds acceptable, such as, big boobs, big butt, and a small waist. In doing so they do not ask a girl out politely they cat call, and try to hit on girls as if they are objects rather than human beings. Robb Bliss a creator of viral videos demonstrates the young adults, and young teenage males that cat call a young women who fits all the criteria of what society find acceptable. Bliss’ video sheds light on street harassment in New York, by having a young women walk around New York for a day to see what happens. During this video the young lady is being objectified for her body,while a 100 different males catcall her. Some nice and some angry when she does not respond, one followed her in silence for five minutes before he simply gave up. Thus, ingeminating what males find attractive, and how they “pick up girls.”
With unlimited access to the internet and the content the media releases adolescences have absorbed the socially constructed idea of what genders should reflect. Self esteem, body image, and sexual harassment play a key part in mental health. Having too low of self esteem, can skew one’s view on the appearance of their body, causing them to think that they need to be thinner or have muscles also known as muscle dysmorphia. In an article by James E. leone et. al concluded that the rise of muscle dysmorphia which is a psychobehavorial disorder, that is linked to anorexia and bulimia, which tends to be lean more towards women is also starting to show a larger rise for males. Media tells society, what the opposite sex finds attractive for women it is big boobs and butts, with maintaining a small waist, and for men they must have chiseled bodies, facial hair, and treat women like objects rather than a human being. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube give kids 24 hour access of viral videos that objectify men and women, giving them stereotypical characteristics of what the other gender should portray. Kids tend to act on what they see on television or what their parents do, with that this allows children to think that the way people on television treat the opposite sex is okay, when in reality, it is not.
As your child grows older social media had become part of their daily routine, easy access to social media’s explicit content, creators of objectifying photoshopped body images subject adolescence into having low self esteem for not meeting the expectation of images that are published. Leading young boys and girls to exercise more and watch what they eat; which seems great media helping your child watch what they eat and exercise more what could go wrong? If your child received their first phone when they were in third grade they have had four years of media teaching them what their gender should look like and how they should act. Before that your children were watching television that was unconsciously telling your child how they should be and what they should look like from a young age. The movie Clueless the main character Charlotte and her best friend give the new girl a makeover to make her more sociably acceptable, and look like Charlotte, a thin popular girl, who is defined as hot.
As the media tries to make it easier for kids to eat healthy and exercise for an hour a day, by putting exercise tips in magazines, and promoting exercise for an hour. With the years they had ahead of them they want results now by this age. If your child is eating healthy for a majority of their life and exercised regularly than they should be on their way to looking like what the media has stated each gender to fit. According to an article by Lawrie et al. concluded that “Previous research has linked the portrayal of thin ideals in the media with body dissatisfaction and dis- ordered eating( Lawrie 1).” It also indicated that between the age of 9-13 is when a body image becomes a factor for your child. Thus causing your child to suffer from body image dysmorphia and possibly depression.
If your child is not suffering with body images dysmorphia the chances of your child being overweight is on the rise. Websites such as Netflix and Hulu+ gives children, teens, and adults unlimited access to all of their favorite television shows for under ten dollars a month. With all of the temptation along with social media, who wouldn’t want to binge watch all of their favorite television shows? Many teens ideas of a relaxed day is snuggling up in their bed watching Netflix, according to popular twitter account: Relationship goals a perfect date is building a fort and watching Netflix. If your teen is overweight the chances of their self esteem being low is high, due to the constant reminder of what they do not look like. If they continue to feel worse about themselves, then they might go to drastic measures and obtain an eating disorder.
In an article by Bryant et al. argues that by promoting physical fitness through social media, helps them to become active. Bryant conducted a nine step plan that should help increase children to want to exercise; “A subcommittee of the Tweens Nutrition and Fitness Coalition developed an implementation plan and timeline outlining organizations and individuals responsible for specific activities.” Thus by altering the way adolescents are seeing exercise it enhances the want for them to exercise. While, that may work for some, the majority of teens who are not in sports do not have the want to go outside or hit a gym to get some exercise in. Also for those who are already on the heavier side, most are too ashamed of their body to go out in a public place and work out, so they attempt to do so at home, but do not have the motivation to work out for the full allotted time.

With the high amounts of exposure to mobile devices and the social media children expose themselves to , children are constantly being bombarded with the constant reminder of what they do not look like, causing their self esteem to plummet. According to researcher Mary Pipher; “Research shows that virtually all women are ashamed of their bodies. It used to be adult women, teenage girls, who were ashamed, but now you see the shame down to very young girls—10, 11 years old. Society’s standard of beauty is an image that is literally just short of starvation for most women.” Due to the increase of freedom parents give their children to technology, they increase their chances of their child developing a mental illness. By starting children to electronic devices at a young age, parents are unconsciously giving their children the idea that they need to look a certain way, or preform a certain way in order to be accepted by society. Self esteem and mental illness go hand in hand.
With the high amounts of gender stereotyping in the media, the number of women in the media meeting the expectation of gender stereotyping is very high.

High exposure of super models, famous actresses in magazines, and back up dancers in music video, who fit the social construction of body images are at a all time high; it is no wonder why mental illness is higher for women than it is for males, according to a survey conducted by Jane Timmons-Mitchell et al. stated that “the mental illness for girls are 84% compared to boys that are 27%.” Of course we do see a high demand for males as well, the only exception is, that there are more provocative objectifying videos of females then there are males. It is also expected for a female to be more aware of their physical appearance and express emotion, where as society has dictated it, un masculine for a male to evoke one’s emotion

freely.
By limiting and monitoring the use of social media intake on adolescence, parents can attempt to prevent the long lasting effect of low self esteem. Also by talking to your children on how each gender should act when either asking one another out, or how they should treat the opposite sex in general can help prevent sexual harassment. The way parents interact also teaches what each gender should look for in the opposite sex, according to a majority of parents. Changing the content of what the media will release will never happen due to its high success rate. However by limiting the amount of media intake your child has, can ultimately be the key factor in your child mental health.