Impact of Music, Music Lyrics, and Music Videos on Children and Youth
Abstract

Music plays an important role in the socialization of children and adolescents. Popular music is present almost everywhere, and it is easily available through the radio, various recordings, the Internet, and new technologies , allowing adolescents to hear it in diverse settings and situations, alone or shared with friends. Parents often are unaware of the lyrics to which their children are listening because of the increasing use of downloaded music and headphones. Research on popular music has explored its effects on schoolwork, social interactions, mood and affect, and particularly behavior. The effect that popular music has on children's and adolescents' behavior and emotions is of paramount concern. Lyrics have become more explicit in their references to drugs, sex, and violence over the years, particularly in certain genres. A teenager's preference for certain types of music could be correlated or associated with certain behaviors. As with popular music, the perception and the effect of music-video messages are important, because research has reported that exposure to violence, sexual messages, sexual stereotypes, and use of substances of abuse in music videos might produce significant changes in behaviors and attitudes of young viewers. Pediatricians and parents should be aware of this information. Furthermore, with the evidence portrayed in these studies, it is essential for pediatricians and parents to take a stand regarding music lyrics.

INTRODUCTION

Music plays an important role in the socialization of children and adolescents. Listening to popular music is considered by society to be a part of growing up. Music provides entertainment and distraction from problems and serves as a way to relieve tension and boredom. Some studies have reported that adolescents use popular music to deal with loneliness and to take control of their emotional status or mood. Music also can provide a background for romance and serve as the basis for establishing relationships in diverse settings. Adolescents use music in their process of identity formation, and their music preference provides them a means to achieve group identity and integration into the youth culture. Some authors have suggested that popular music provides adolescents with the means to resolve unconscious conflicts related to their particular developmental stage and that their music preference might reflect the level of turmoil of this stage.
To understand the importance of music in the life of adolescents, a survey performed in the early 1990s of 2760 American adolescents aged 14 through 16 years revealed that they listened to music an average of 40 hours per week. In another study in 2000, North et al found that a sample of 2465 adolescents in England reported listening to music for an average of 2.45 hours per day. On a study performed in 2005 to assess media use of 8- to 18-year-olds in the United States, Roberts et al reported that on a given day, 85% of 8- to 18-year-olds listen to music. Although time devoted to listening to music varies with age group, American youth listen to music from 1.5 to 2.5 hours per day. Still, a study performed with a small sample of at-risk youth revealed an average of up to 6.8 hours of music-listening per day. Furthermore, Roberts et al found that 33% of those listening to music did so while performing other tasks or activities. These data support the idea that the prevalence of music-listening in adolescents may be even higher than that of television viewing. The reason for this is that popular music is present almost everywhere, from the supermarket to the mall, often as background music. It also is easily available through the radio, various recordings, the Internet, and new technologies, allowing adolescents to hear it in diverse settings and situations, alone or shared with friends.

Adolescents are not the only young consumers of popular music. A study with 100 fourth- through sixth-graders revealed that 98% of these children listened to popular music, 72% of them on “most days” or every day. Furthermore, it has been reported that children 8 to 10 years of age listen to music an average of 1 hour per day. With many children and adolescents listening on iPods or other devices using headphones, parents may have little knowledge of what their children are listening to.
Lyrics have become more explicit in their references to drugs, sex, and violence over the years.1 A content analysis of the top 10 CDs performed by the National Institute on Media in 1999 revealed that each of these CDs included at least 1 song with sexual content. Forty-two percent of the songs on these CDs contained very explicit sexual content. Lyrics of some music genres, such as rock, heavy metal, rap, and new emerging genres such as reggaeton, have been found to revolve around topics such as sexual promiscuity, death, homicide, suicide, and substance abuse. Most recently, some rap music has been characterized by the presence of explicit sexual language in its lyrics as well as messages of violence, racism, homophobia, and hatred toward women. Drug, tobacco, and alcohol use also tend to be glorified in these songs.

In refuting concerns about the effect of lyrics, some have argued that children and adolescents use music only for entertainment, that little or no attention is paid to the words, and if any attention is given, understanding tends to be limited and related to the experiences lived by the listener. However, other studies have demonstrated the contrary. Approximately 17% of male adolescents and 25% of female adolescents expressed that they liked their favorite songs specifically because the lyrics were a reflection of their feelings. Also, it has been found that the more importance adolescents give to a certain type of music, the more attention they will pay to the lyrics.

Regarding the effects of popular music on behavior, several studies have demonstrated that preference for certain types of music could be correlated or associated with certain behaviors,such as the association of drug and alcohol use with “rave” music or electronic music dance events. Roberts et al performed a study in 1997 at an adolescent clinic, and their results suggested that probably the best predictor of risk in adolescents related to music is their self-report of negative feelings or emotions when listening to any type of music. The authors of that study described an association between negative emotional response to music and risk-taking behaviors and even suggested that what triggers risky behavior in some adolescents is the negative emotional response rather than the type of music. Scheel and Westefeld supported this suggestion in 1999. Heavy metal and some rock music have been associated in some studies with an increased risk of suicide. Fans of heavy metal music have been reported in the literature to have more problems with school authorities and teachers than students who are not fans of that type of music. Heavy metal music-listening has also been associated with increased depression, delinquency risk behavior, smoking, and conduct problems.. A study performed to explore the possible effect of heavy metal music containing either sexually violent or nonviolent lyrics on males' attitudes toward women revealed that those exposed to heavy metal music, with either sexually violent or nonviolent lyrics, showed significantly more negative stereotyped attitudes toward women than those in a group instead exposed to classical music..
In a study in which adolescents who preferred heavy metal and rap music were compared with those who preferred other types of music, results indicated that the former consistently showed below-average current and elementary school grades, with a history of counseling in elementary school for academic problems. A study performed in 1999 with a sample of mothers from public schools revealed that 47% of the mothers believed that violent messages in rap music contribute to school violence; yet, according to a 2007 report from the Kaiser Family Foundation on parents, children, and the media, only 9% of parents revealed being concerned about inappropriate content in music.
Research related to music and its effects on children and adolescents has been expanded into another expression of popular music: the music video. Music videos are appealing to children and adolescents. Considering that music videos mix media that are attractive to youth (television and popular music), it is important to study their effects on a young audience and to be concerned about the messages these music videos promote. Music videos have been widely studied. They are mainly classified as either performance or concept videos. For a performance video, an artist or a group is filmed during a performance, usually a concert. Concept videos, on the other hand, tell the viewer a story that may or may not evolve from the song. This story may sometimes add content to the lyrics and provide a particular interpretation that is reinforced every time the viewer hears the song. As with popular music, the perception and the effect of music-video messages on children and adolescents is related to the age and developmental and emotional stage of the viewer, as well as the level of exposure.

Analysis of the content in music videos is important, because research has reported that exposure to violence, sexual messages, sexual stereotypes, and use of substances of abuse in music videos might produce significant changes in behaviors and attitudes of young viewers.†Frequent watching of music videos has been related to an increased risk of developing beliefs in false stereotypes and an increased perceived importance of appearance and weight in adolescent girls. In studies performed to assess the reactions of young males exposed to violent rap music videos or sexist videos, participants reported an increased probability that they would engage in violence, a greater acceptance of the use of violence, and a greater acceptance of the use of violence against women than did participants who were not exposed to these videos.

IMPACT OF MUSIC LYRICS AND MUSIC VIDEOS ON CHILDREN AND YOUTH
Music Lyrics Music lyrics have undergone dramatic changes since the introduction of rock music more than 40 years ago. This is an issue of vital interest and concern for parents and pediatricians.
During the past four decades, rock music lyrics have become increasingly explicit-particularly with reference to sex, drugs, and violence. Recently, heavy metal and "gangsta rap" music lyrics have elicited the greatest concern. In some cases lyrics communicate potentially harmful health messages. Such lyrics are of special concern in today’s environment, which poses unprecedented threats to the health and well-being of adolescents. Pregnancy, drug use, acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (and other sexually transmitted diseases), injuries, homicide, and suicide have all become part of the landscape of everyday life for many American teens.
At the same time, music is important to teenagers’ identity and helps them define important social and subcultural boundaries. The results of one survey of 14- to 16-year-olds in 10 different southeastern cities showed that that they listened to music an average of 40 hours per week. One Swedish study found that adolescents who developed an early interest in rock music were more likely to be influenced by their peers and less influenced by their parents than older adolescents.
Most teenagers tend to interpret their favorite songs as being about "love, friendship, growing up, life’s struggles, having fun, cars, religion, and other topics that relate to teenage life." However, for a small subgroup of teenagers, music preference may be highly significant. Numerous studies indicate that a preference for heavy metal music may be a significant marker for alienation, substance abuse, psychiatric disorders, suicide risk, sex-role stereotyping, or risk-taking behaviors during adolescence.
The American Academy Pediatrics strongly opposes censorship. At the same time the American Academy Pediatrics is greatly concerned that negative behavioral messages are being recorded and repeatedly broadcast. By law, (the Federal Communications Act of 1934), the public owns the airways, which are leased back to radio and television stations that are obligated to produce programming in the public’s best interest. Awareness of, and sensitivity to, the potential impact of music lyrics by consumers, the media, and the music industry is crucial. It is in children’s best interest to listen to lyrics that are not violent, sexist, drug-oriented, or antisocial.
Although the evidence is incomplete, based on our knowledge of child and adolescent development, the American Academy Pediatrics believes that parents should be aware of pediatricians’ concerns about the possible negative impact of music lyrics.
Therefore, the American Academy Pediatrics recommends that:
1. Pediatricians should encourage parents to take an active role in monitoring music that their children and adolescents are exposed to and which they purchase.
2. Pediatricians should join with educators and parents in local and national coalitions to discuss the effects of music lyrics on children and adolescents.
3. The public, and parents in particular, should be made aware of sexually explicit, drug-oriented, or violent lyrics on compact discs, tapes, music videos, and the Internet. The music industry should develop and apply a system of specific content-labeling of music regarding violence, sex, drugs, or offensive lyrics. If labeling is not done voluntarily by the music industry, then regulation should be developed to make it mandatory.
4. Broadcasters and the music industry should be encouraged to demonstrate sensitivity and self-restraint in decisions regarding what is produced, marketed, and broadcast.
5. Performers should be encouraged to serve as positive role models for children and teenagers.
6. Research should be developed concerning the impact music lyrics have on the behavior of adolescents and preadolescents.

Music Videos Music video formats are popular among children and adolescents. When music lyrics are illustrated in music videos, their potential impact is magnified. Teenagers who may not "hear" or understand rock lyrics cannot avoid the often disturbing images that characterize a growing number of videos. In addition, music videos are self-reinforcing: if viewers hear a song after having seen the video version, they immediately "flash back" to the visual imagery in the video. Music videos may represent a relatively new art form, but it is one that often contains an excess of sexism, violence, substance abuse, suicides, and inappropriate sexual behavior.
With 70% of American households receiving cable television, most teenagers have access to Music Television (MTV) and VH-1 and watch an average of a half hour to 2 hours of music videos daily. Content analyses indicate that up to 75% of concept music videos (those involving a theme instead of a concert performance) contain sexually suggestive material. More than half contain violence, which often includes acts committed against women. Women are frequently portrayed in a condescending manner. Alcohol and tobacco use are also glamorized in many music videos that teenagers view. As with music lyrics, teenagers’ ability to comprehend and interpret music videos may vary widely and may represent an important variable in their potential impact.
The American Academy Prediatrics recommends the following:
1. Pediatricians should counsel parents to monitor television viewing and to recognize that television is a potent teacher of children and adolescents. As with other media, television exposure to content involving sex, violence, or drug use should be regulated by parents in accordance with the age and maturity of their children and adolescents.
2. Pediatricians should counsel parents to become media-literate. This means watching television with their children and teenagers, discussing the content with them, and initiating the process of selective viewing at an early age.
3. Music video producers should be encouraged to exercise sensitivity and self-restraint in what they depict, as should networks in what they choose to air.
4. The music video industry should be encouraged to produce videos and public service messages with positive themes about relationships, racial harmony, drug avoidance, nonviolence and conflict resolution, sexual abstinence, pregnancy prevention, and avoidance of sexually transmitted diseases.
5. Research concerning the impact music videos have on the behavior of children and adolescents should be developed
PROBLEM
Research on popular music has explored its effects on schoolwork, social interactions, mood and affect, and particularly behavior. The effect that popular music has on children’s and adolescents’ behavior and emotions is of paramount concern. Lyrics have become more explicit in their references to drugs, sex, and violence over the years, particularly in certain genres. A teenager’s preference for certain types of music could be correlated or associated withcertain behaviors. As with popular music, the perception and the effect of music-video messages are important, because research has reported that exposure to violence, sexual messages, sexualstereotypes, and use of substances of abuse in music videos might produce significant changes in behaviors and attitudes of young viewers. Pediatricians and parents should be aware of this information. Furthermore, with the evidence portrayed in these studies, it is essential for pediatricians and parents to take a stand regarding music lyrics.
RECOMMENDATIONS
The American Academy of Pediatrics understands that, given the findings presented and our knowledge of child and adolescent development, pediatricians and parents should be aware of this information. Furthermore, with the evidence portrayed in these studies, it is essential for pediatricians and parents to take a stand regarding this issue. Therefore, the following recommendations are made. 1. Pediatricians should become familiar with the role of music in the lives of children and adolescents and identify music preferences of their patients as clues to emotional conflict or problems. 2. Pediatricians should become familiar with the literature available on the effects of music andmusic videos on children and adolescents. 3. Pediatricians should explore with patients and their parents what types of music they listen to and music videos they watch and under which circumstances they consume these media. 4. Pediatricians should encourage parents to take an active role in monitoring the type of music to which their children and adolescents are exposed and to be aware of the music they purchase. Parents can find lyrics by typing “music lyrics” into an Internet search engine and accessing 1 or more of the Web sites that appear. Pediatricians also should counsel parentsand caregivers to monitor and regulate television-viewing according to the age and maturity of their children and adolescents. 5. .Pediatricians should encourage parents and caregivers to become media literate. 6. .Pediatricians should sponsor and participate in local and national coalitions to discuss the effects of music on children and adolescents to make the public and parents aware of sexuallyexplicit, drug-oriented, or violent lyrics on CDs and cassettes, in music videos, on the Internet, and in emerging technologies. 7. The public, and parents in particular, should be aware of and use the music industry’s parental advisory warning of explicit content. The advisory label is a black-and-white logo and should be located on the front of the CD, cassette, album, videocassette, or DVD. It may help protect children from certain offensive materials. 8. Performers should serve as positive role models for children and teenagers. 9. .The music-video industry should produce videos with more positive themes about relationships,racial harmony, drug avoidance, nonviolent conflict resolution, sexual abstinence, pregnancyprevention, and avoidance of promiscuity. 10. .Further research on the effects of popular music, lyrics, and music videos on children and adolescents is important and should be conducted.
CONCLUSION
It is in this context that the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) had proposed descriptive labeling of music content and parental advisory labels. The American Academy Prediatrics is also apprehensive about the negative behavioral messages that are now commonplace in public television broadcasts. The Pediatrician can play an important role by counseling the parents about watching television with their children, which gives opportunities for constructive parent-child discussions on subjects such as sex, violence and drugs. Commerce should take a back seat to the common good, which means the record companies should exercise more sensitivity and scruples in what they decide to market.. The Federal Communications Act of 1934 states that the radio and television stations are responsible to create broadcast content keeping in mind the best interests of the public. Unless this clause is taken in spirit and not just in letter the status quo will remain. Since children are exposed to music lyrics and videos that may have harmful effects, pediatricians need to help moderate these effects by following the recommended guidelines.

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