I listen to a lot of music in my work with youth. It's interesting to see what stations teens will turn to on the radio, to hear what they listen to on a daily basis. Many enjoy rap, others like rock and yet others prefer "less popular" music.
Of course, the musical tastes of the young can (and do) vary widely. I would like to share some thoughts about the "popular" music teens are listening to these days.
Vulgar language: When I was a teen, popular radio stations would bleep out bad language or use some sound effect to change the offending work into something unrecognizable. Now, on some popular stations, deejays make no effort to cover up or take out these words. And it isn't just a few songs either. There are many artists who use this kind of language, and most often in derogatory ways.
Sexuality: Much of popular music has become highly sexualized. Lyrics are often explicit, describing physical attributes in crude terms as well as lustful, non-committal sex. Women are portrayed as not truly valuable or beautiful, as not deserving of respect, but instead as "hot" objects that will satisfy on a whim. Relationships are degraded merely to "whatever feels good" because, of course, when the good feelings are gone, it's time to move on to something new and exciting.
Disrespect: There is an underlying attitude of disrespect in a lot of popular music, which can come across as an attitude of "I can do whatever I want." Lyrics may depict disrespect towards women or men, political figures and authority, either directly or indirectly.
Many popular icons in the media don't take their roles as seriously as they should. I have read the statements of some celebrities saying that it isn't their responsibility to "raise" children and that they should be able to use their artistic freedom however they please. Many don't see themselves as being role models for youth and argue that they aren't trying to be. It's not their job, they say.
There are, of course, examples of great role models in the media. There is excellent music with phenomenal lyrics written by extremely talented artists.
Nobody's perfect, and it's impossible to always do the right thing. However, simply admitting one's mistakes to young people is a way of being transparent with them, which in turn can deepen their respect.
I recently came across this great statement from a book called Soul Searching: The Religious and Spiritual Lives of American Teenagers by Christian Smith and Melinda Lundquist Denton: "Far from being alien creatures from another planet, American teenagers actually well reflect back to us the best and worst of our own adult condition and culture."
The music being produced these days-along with books, movies and television shows-is a clear reflection of what is going on in the culture at large.
Youth don't create this culture alone; adults play the leading role. We can all worry about what is to become of teens and shake our heads, saying that this is just the way kids are. But as adults, we need to look at ourselves and each other and ask why things are the way they are.
For instance, why do we find some of this music acceptable for the young? Clearly it shows just how undervalued sex has become in this society. Clearly it shows that respect and courtesy are largely things of the past, and that what matters most is how one feels and expresses oneself.
There is a level of hypocrisy in the way adults deal with youth culture. I don't blame teens at all when I see an adult telling kids, "don't say that, it's a bad word," or "don't talk that way, it's disrespectful," and then these same adults allow their children or students to listen to music that says the exact opposite.
Teens catch on to hypocrisy quickly. They know when someone says one thing and does another. This not only confuses them, it also shows that there is no point in listening, that whatever they were doing "wrong" must actually be okay. In the long run, it creates a lowered level of respect for the adult.
We can all help demonstrate good morals and values, as well as helping to instill a sense of respect. This doesn't mean sheltering youth from the world and locking them in their rooms until they turn 18. It simply means joining them as they walk through life.
It means talking with them, and being open and non-judgmental to what they are experiencing, and being able to explain why certain things (in this case, music) may be harmful. It means upholding a consistent standard of behavior, one exhibiting respect and honesty and positive values.
It isn't just the artists who should watch what they do. Each of us should watch his or her actions. Because we know that the young are.
Ashley Marshall works as a teen mentor at the Magnolia Community Center.[[In-content Ad]]
