Music being an indispensable part of our lives has a a lot of affect on it too. The importance of music in the life of adolescents can also be estimated by the amount of time they spend on listening music.Music has different type of influence on the mind of people. Being positive it helps in calming the nerves, maintaining focus, helps in language learning. Listening to music also helps in maintaining blood pressure, inducing sleep , helping in post surgery recoveries (mostly heart and brain related). Although if played loudly, it can have totally opposite affects. Can lead to deafness and distracting us.
There are several forms of music-classical rock ,rhythm and blues and hip-hop.It has become a crucial part of our lives that the effects of music have been studied for many years.There are some negative effects of music claimed by researchers. Studies shows that music videos provide less stimulation to imagination and are enjoyed less than the songs alone. Researchers using different methods, confirms the negative effect of music videos on the imagination. The conventional believe being that music videos containing sex and violence “sells”. In other words sex and violence add to the appeal to the video. But according to studies, the result was quite the opposite. When sex and violence both are added to the music video they tend to neutralize the effect of each other. In other words, sex may sell, violence may or may not but sex and violence together will not sell. When lyrics of rock music is illustrated in the videos the effect magnifies and multiplies. Rock music videos contain a lot of sexual themes, violence and suicide. According to a study ,teenagers watch an average of two hours of music videos everyday
Lyrics of some rock songs portray the same themes, sex, violence, death etc. Also due to the popularity of this genre, the songs also get a large audience and popularity.
Another popular genre Rap music has also been under great scrutiny due to the same reasons as Rock music. Rap music originated from hip hop music. The lyrics being coarse and strong attract a lot of attention. This in turn has a lot of effect on the attitude of a teenager.
Several studies such as mentioned below has been proven that rap music does effect mental health of a person.
Apart from the certified facts, we know that rock, pop, rap stars are like idols to children. Even when we were kids we used to listen and sing the songs sung by them no matter what the were meanings of the songs. That is we used to copy them, their dressing style, hair style etc. which is sometimes a bad thing and can lead to a delusion in a child's mind as whatever the pop star did is justified in their eyes and they will copy them. Going to clubs, drinking alcohol and sleeping under age can be blamed on these so called idols. I am certainly not putting a stamp or calling anyone who does the above things is a bad person, but doing something under pressure or just because someone else did is certainly wrong. Peer pressure should not be underestimated.
As we all know that each and every coin has two sides. Apart from negative effects , there are also some positive effects of music. Music therapy can be a powerful tool for behavior modification with children. This therapy can be used behaviorally handicapped children in public schools and the treatment of children with attention defect order. Emotional health of children can be treated successfully with music therapy in elementary schools and in psychiatric, community mental health centers and residential treatment facilities (Cassity & Cassiy: 1994). There are beneficial effects of interactive music therapy with hospitalized pediatric hematology/oncology patients. Music therapy is also used in treatment of autistic spectrum and disorder. Music is also helpful in decreasing racism ad increasing brotherhood. A good example is Jazz music. This music is a mixture of African and European music traditions. It has an immense power to console, enthrall and energize a person. Music replaces or invokes the presence of absent peers in order to relieve feelings of loneliness. Adolescent pop music “experts” tend to have more friends and enjoy enhanced status in the adolescent social structure.
Children are like gold coins .They can be molded to easily to any form.Now the question which arises is that should music be blamed for any type of influence whether positive or negative? It is apparent from the studies that negative effects of music overweight its positive ones. But these reasons are not enough for any one to stop producing music, it is up to us, how we want music to effect us. Its not a compulsion to listen to rock or rap music , its our choice.
References
Attention, Preference, and Identity in Music Listening by Middle School Students of Different Linguistic Backgrounds Journal of Research in Music Education October 1, 2007 55: 204-219
Cassity M.D.& Cassity, J.E.(1994) Psychiatrist music therapy assessment and treatment in clinical training facilities with adults ,adolescents and children, Journal of Music Therapy ,31, 2-30
Gan, S.-L., Zillmann, D., and Mitrook, M. (1997). Stereotyping effect of Black women's sexual rap on White audiences. Basic Appl. Soc Psychol. 19(3): 381-399.
Giles, M.M.,Cogan .D.,Cox,C.(1991). A music and art program to promote emotional health in elemantary school children. Journal of Music Therapy,28.135-148.
Hansen, C. H. (1995). Predicting cognitive and behavioral effects of gangsta rap. Basic Appl. Soc. Psychol. 16(1/2): 43-52.
Huesmann, L. R., Moise, J. F., Podolski, C. L., (1997). The Effects of Media Violence on the Development of Antisocial Behavior. In Stoff, D. M., Breiling, J., and Maser, J. D. (eds.), Handbook of Antisocial Behavior. Wiley, New York, pp. 181-193.
Johnson, J. D., Jackson, L. A., and Gatto, L. (1995b). Violent attitudes and deferred academic aspirations: Deleterious effects of exposure to rap music. Basic Appl. Soc. Psychol. 16(1/2): 27-41.
Lacourse, E. (1999). Alienation, musique "heavy metal" et risque suicidaire chez les adolescents [Alienation, Heavy Metal Music and Suicidal Risks in Adolescents]. Unpublished doctoral dissertation. University of Montreal, Department of Psychology, Montreal, Canada.
Mucchielli, L. (2000). Rap Music and French Society as viewed by youth of the "cites." Penal Issues Newsletter 11: 5-9
Villani, Sussan M.D.Impact of Media on Children and Adolescents: A 10 -Year review of Reseach.http://www.lionlamb.org/research_articles/01C392.pdf
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If you look at the lyrics of any
Beatles song, it encourages the usage of drugs and promotes a lifestyle which
is free and without higher authority controlling the state. An example of this
is the lyrics to a very famous Jimmy Hendrix song, “Cocaine,” or even “Yellow Submarine,” by The Beatles. The “Yellow Submarine” that The Beatles sing about
can be used as symbolism for a society where everyone is happy and there are no
authorities controlling them. The lyrics to “Cocaine,” says, that to receive
any pleasure from the negative, cocaine is the answer. The combination of these
two messages created a revolution we now call the sixties. Not only were the
Beatles a major player but so were Jimmy Hendrix, Pink Floyd, Oasis, Big
Brother and the Holding Company, and many others. They all had similar meanings
and their psychedelic album artwork also played a key role. Peter Marx, a
psychedelic artist, who made a lot of artwork for bands, was very influential
among the youth.
