Sexually Explicit Lyrics and Their Influence on Teenagers

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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. .

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