Sexually Explicit Lyrics and Their Influence on Teenagers

968 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Violent video games affecting young people's behavior

Children and teenagers throughout history have always enjoyed listening to music. – rap, heavy metal, rock, hip-hop, and pop. They listen to music while driving their cars, while walking from class to class, while studying or doing homework, even while hanging out with friends. Most of the music they listen to, especially rap and heavy metal, have lyrics that repeatedly reference sex, violence and drugs. Repeatedly listening to such lyrics has negative effects on adolescents, including early sex, violent behavior, and use of drugs. Nicki Minaj, for example, the most successful female rapper of all time, is notorious for using vulgar and sexually explicit lyrics in her songs (Khalid 2). One of her songs is “Stupid Hoe,” which she begins by singing, “I get it cracking like a bad back, b****, talking like a queen, when she looking like a lab rat” (Khalid 2). She repeats the line, You a stupid hoe, you a, you a stupid hoe” no less than eight times in every hook (Khalid 2). Nine Inch Nails is no better. In one of their songs, they sing, “I am a big man. Yes I am, and I have a big gun; got a big ole **** and I like to have fun. Held against your forehead I’ll make you suck, you know, just for the **** of it” (Rense 2). Although kids love listening to music that refers to sex, violence and drugs, studies show that listening to such music is bad for them. According to Dr. Michael Rich, director of the Center on Media and Child Health at Children’s Hospital and Boston stated, “When we look at the research, it indicates that kids who listen to a lot of music, who watch a lot of music videos, actually are at an increased risk for violent behavior, for substance abuse, for risky sexual behavior (“Sex” 1). At least one study... ... middle of paper ... ...usic-of-today/>. Lupu, Alexandra. "Teenagers Listening to Vulgar Music Have Sex Earlier." Teenagers Listening to Vulgar Music Have Sex Earlier. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Apr. 2014. . New York Times. "Study links vulgar lyrics to early sex by teenagers - Americas - International Herald Tribune." The New York Times. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Apr. 2014. . Rense. "The Effects Of Violent Music Content On Teens." The Effects Of Violent Music Content On Teens. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Apr. 2014. . Today. "Sex and violence ... and it’s on the radio." TODAY.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Apr. 2014. .

Show More
Related

  • Hollywood Stop Exposing Our Kids To Violence Analysis

    439 Words  | 1 Pages

    Violence is often something people complain about to others. When there is an argument it may come to violence. Movies are causing people to become violent because when heroes in movies use violence to beat up the villains, this shows children violence is okay. The article claims that filmmakers should be blamed by putting violence in their movies. Therefore it is up to the parents to watch over their kids. But in a counter argument it claims that violence in music is okay and that the parents should know their kid’s tolerance to violent scenes.

    Read More

  • Compare And Contrast Rock And Roll Today And 1950's

    1392 Words  | 3 Pages

    Teenagers have for long been a constant bother to many parents, for many years. It is during this stage that a large number of individuals engage in rebellious acts and are anxious to try out almost everything they lay their hands on. It is clear from the illustrations that music does have a great effect on teenagers. Parents should therefore combine effort in instilling a sense of responsibility and good morals to their young ones since they are the future leaders of the world.

    Read More

  • Rap is Crap

    592 Words  | 2 Pages

    “She ain’t nuttin but a hoochie mama…Smackin’ on your lips, put your hands on your hips…She ain’t nuttin but a hoochie mama…Oh I love those big brown eyes and the way you shake your thighs, acting like you’re so damn cute...” Rap music with lyrics like this play on the radio and in home stereos every day. Rap music pounds messages of sex and violence into the minds of young adults leaving behind their sexist and repetitive influential messages. Music has a very powerful influence on our emotions, moods, and behavior. Rap music influences teenagers negatively by increasing violent attitudes and promoting sexual aggression against women.

    Read More

  • The Pros And Cons Of Radio Censorship

    1309 Words  | 3 Pages

    The main argument which critics use to show why the radio should be censored is because listening to explicit lyrics is linked to aggressive thoughts. This argument has some truth because studies have linked them, but the conditions of these studies also favors an increase of aggressive thoughts. Most of the studies show teenage boys who already having more aggressive thoughts because they are developing, playing more violent games, and being exposed more to the real world. These studies are also biased because most teenagers who listen to explicit music are being influenced by their parents more than the lyrics. As stated in an article debating radio censorship, “Parents still have a bigger influence over their kids’ behavior than music does” (Kiplinger). Parents who are aggressive tend to pass the trait to their kids whom tend to listen to explicit lyrics because of their previous exposure to violence and harsh

    Read More

  • Media Violence: Censorship Not Needed

    1589 Words  | 4 Pages

    Males, Mike. "Why Demonize a Healthy Teen Culture." Los Angeles Times 9 May. 1999. Rpt. in Violence in the Media as "Teenagers Are Not Becoming More Violent." Ed. James D. Torr. San Diego: Greenhaven. 2001. 82-84.

    Read More

  • Music Censorship is Not Needed

    776 Words  | 2 Pages

    It cannot be denied that there is an excess of violence in today's music. Eminem raps about spousal abuse and murder sprees, Marilyn Manson sings of anarchy, drugs, and atheism, and Limp Bizkit urges fans to "break stuff." Some critics argue that fans will take these words seriously, and act out on the urging of their beloved artists. However, if listeners aren't mature enough to know the difference between the fictional world these lyrics invoke, and the reality that they personally live in, perhaps they aren't mature enough to listen to it. If a young person seriously believes in the message he or she hears, perhaps it is because the parents have not done a sound job of teaching the difference between fiction and reality, between right and wrong. Too man...

    Read More

  • Sociology: Sexual Objectification of Women in Music Videos Today

    924 Words  | 2 Pages

    ... The Sounds of Sex: Sex in teens’ music and music videos. Sexual Teens, Sexual Media: Investigating Media’s Influence on Adolescent Sexuality (p. 253)

    Read More

  • The Exploitation and Objectification of Women in Rap

    1182 Words  | 3 Pages

    Women have consistently been perceived as second-class citizens. Even now, in times when a social conscience is present in most individuals, in an era where an atmosphere of gender equality 'supposedly' exists, it is blatantly apparent that the objectification and marginalization of women is still a major social issue. In reality, progression in terms of reducing female exploitation has been stagnant at best. Not only is the degradation of women a major problem that to date has not been eradicated, but it is actually being endorsed by some music celebrities. There are a growing number of people who purchase rap albums that support the fallacy that women are mere objects and should be treated as such. As the popularity of rap continues to climb at unprecedented rates, so too does its influence on the perception of women. In the vast majority of hip-hop songs, the depiction of women as sexual objects, the extreme violence directed towards them and the overall negative influence these lyrics have on the average adolescent's perception of women make rap the absolute epitome of female exploitation.

    Read More

  • Substance Abuse: A Nationwide Epidemic

    2210 Words  | 5 Pages

    Prevention Research Center, Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation, Meng-Jinn Chen Ph.D, Brenda A. Miller Ph.D, Joel W. Grube Ph.D, & Elizabeth D. Waiters Ph.D (2006). Music, Substance Use, and Aggression. Journal of Studies on Alcohol, 67(3), 373-381 .

    Read More

  • Music and Deviant Behavior

    1614 Words  | 4 Pages

    Often times throughout history and in today’s world, music along with lyrics of songs and musical artists are blamed for deviant behavior in adolescents and teenagers. Some argue that subcultures are created because of artists and their music which leads to groups of young adults taking part in deviant behavior, while others argue the opposite; that the behavior leads the person to listen to the music. There is also concern about the effect that music videos have on the behaviors of the listeners of music throughout all genres. Although there is not much extended research on music and the effect it has on its listeners there is plenty of speculation, theories, and minor studies.

    Read More

  • Rap Music's Influence Upon Teenagers

    1389 Words  | 3 Pages

    Many teens don’t realize that the music they are listening to affects the way they think. According to Morrison, a columnist whose writings focus on the impact of the choices people face every day, “Words do have meanings, meanings suggest thoughts, and thoughts lead to action” (Morrison). Even if the person isn’t affected right away by the violent lyrics of most today’s rap songs, eventually they will become more prone to certain thoughts. As Morrison stated, “In experiments on over 500 college students . . .

    Read More

  • Bad Influence of Hip Hop on Youth

    1022 Words  | 3 Pages

    Imagine our youth all over the country being exposed to this explicit kind of language. There is no need to imagine, because it is already happening. Ever since the rise of Rap and Hip Hop music, teens have been turning to them to help solve their problems. However these kinds of music can be very destructive to teens. It is not the youth’s fault; it is the content that the music contains. Although Rap and Hip Hop music can be a force for good, they can also have an extremely negative impact on the attitudes and behaviors of our youth.

    Read More

  • Why Do Violent Lyrics Cause Teen Violence?

    540 Words  | 2 Pages

    Teens and the human populous have been draw to music, and the relief it gives off. As recent as the 1990’s, we’ve seen an increase in explicit and violent lyrics and deviant behavior in the music industry surrounding such genres as heavy metal, rock, rap, and gangster rap. During this past decade, lyrics are becoming more violent and sexually explicit. It is approximated that teens listen to an average of 40 hours of music a week, and somewhere along the way, a child will hear something derogatory, or cruel. Along with this, teens don’t necessarily interpret what is said through lyrics in the right manner. In one study, only 30% of those somewhat questionable lyrics by popular bands were comprehended by the teen population.

    Read More

  • Essay On Contract Law

    2266 Words  | 5 Pages

    A contract is an agreement between two parties in which one party agrees to perform some actions in return of some consideration. These promises are legally binding. The contract can be for exchange of goods, services, property and so on. A contract can be oral as well as written and also it can be part oral and part written but it is useful to have written contract otherwise issues can be created in future. But both the written as well as oral contract is legally enforceable. Also if there is a breach of contract, there are certain remedies for that which are discussed later in the assignment. There are certain elements which need to be present in a contract. These elements are discussed in the detail in the assignment. (Clarke,

    Read More

  • musical influences

    1126 Words  | 3 Pages

    Music has been used for many different things throughout history. It is said that music influences a person’s brain, and by doing so, has an effect on overall behavior or activity of a person. Many Indian tribes across North America used percussion instruments (drums) to contact the spirits of their ancestors. During the Renaissance period, during many parties held by royalty, “classical” music was played to keep a happy atmosphere about the ballroom. In the next few paragraphs, we’ll look at how today’s society blames Metal Music for many behavioral disorders amongst the youth.

    Read More

More about Sexually Explicit Lyrics and Their Influence on Teenagers

Open Document