Listening To Music Synthesis Essay

Adolescents listen to music between three and four hours a day, and consider musicians their heroes. Teens are able to identify 20-30 music genres, the most controversial genres being heavy metal and rap. The question that this prompts is whether music lyrics affect teens negatively or not. Music lyrics that are about violence and drug use do not necessarily affect teenagers negatively, and it is more likely that they are choosing music to reflect their personality, and listening to different music genres is them searching for independence and an escape from everyday life, also teens are usually aware of the negative subjects in music. Music lyrics usually do not affect teenagers in a negative way, as there is little evidence to prove it does. According to Source D, “...most adolescents are aware that swearing, guns, and threats

Teenagers will listen to music that they enjoy, so it is not the music itself causing violent behavior. Source B mentions that, “Psychologists generally believe that music tastes reflect a teeenager’s personality instead of shaping it” (Source B, P.3). Teens will gravitate to music that best fits their personality. If a teen is already angry all of the time, and listens to heavy metal music nonstop then it may be a problem, but it is not the music that has caused their angriness. Source A states that, “The angry, depressive, violent lyrics of hard rock and heavy metal music may be a risk factor for suicide and violence for those adolescents who are already depressed and alienated, suicidal, have drug, alcohol and family problems or are alienated at school” (Source A). This explains that teenagers may already feel depressed before listening to heavy metal music, and since they already feel that way the music may negatively affect them. Music is often an outlet for how teenagers