As noted in many other posts, substance abuse is a serious problem in the world today. There are many factors that come into play when diagnosing why someone becomes dependent on drugs and alcohol. Could music really play a big role into substance abuse? As the article mentions, many of the songs we are listening to everyday are loaded with references to alcohol and other drugs. The average teenager listens to about two and a half hours of music each day. If three-fourths of the music they are listening to reference drinking and partying, could many teens be testing it out because of the lyrics they are listening to? Obviously, these artists who created the music made it big by conjuring up lyrics heavily associated to these illegal activities, so how bad could they be right? Are kids realizing that not every lyric they hear is the truth? What message do you believe songwriters are attempting to get across with their substance abuse filled lyrics?
Its not only the music that influences teenagers, but the image of the artists. A lot of rappers are known for being involved in drugs and the party life, and you can hear their stories on TV shows or in magazine articles. Figures such as Lil Wayne and Snoop Dog are well known for their association with drugs. The influence on teens is always around, whether in music, media, or their peers. Teenagers are curious to try new things at this age, and having all these influences makes it much more appealing to them.
ReplyDeleteIs it really that appealing because it is illegal? If you look at most of the famous rappers out there, they typically have been to jail or have been arrested for living the lifestyle that is in their songs. I realize that their fame is the most attractive aspect for the youth, but do you believe that because kids hear about smoking marijuana in a song, they are going to go try it? I feel as if that is slightly ridiculous because we are inundated with sex through commercials and music, however, I do not see a fair amount of teenagers looking for prostitutes. I believe that the kids who are already interested in the lifestyles the artists sing about would to do these activities with out the influence of the music.
ReplyDeleteWhile I believe there are many kids who are prone to being influenced by these artist's lyrics and way of life, such is not the case for most. I enjoy listening to many songs that would be deemed "suggestive" by some people, but not usually for the content of the songs. Just because the songs involve drugs or alcohol doesn't mean that is the reason people listen to the songs they do. Different music speaks to different people, and it just so happens that some of these rappers or country artists are among the most talented and catchy (debatable).
ReplyDeleteI definitely think that music can influence the listener depending on the artist's intention. However, I do not believe that music alone would be the sole reason for a teenager to get heavily into partying and substance abuse. I've noticed this from personal experience. I've been listening to questionable music for a long time now and I haven't had any urges to abuse substances due to the lyrics. I can't argue that song lyrics do have a slight effect but not large enough to cause an issue by itself. One's overall environment (including music) and life decisions are what lead to substance abuse.
ReplyDeleteI believe that the content of this post is a good representation of how a writer uses statistics to create tension of values(7). By targeting the values that a parent has for his/her/their growing child, the author tries to get emotion out of the parent to realize what goes on in the music children are exposed to.
ReplyDeleteIn response to what Tyler posted, I feel that songwriters are just trying to make selling material. Rather than try to target children or advocate any type of substance use, the artists are just making content that either reflects on his/her own life or to appeal to the people that are out partying and drinking. I also want to point out that in the article, the author points out the fact that the children will be exposed to this type of material in the media regardless of the source. In today's mass media society it is almost impossible to hide any material for an extensively long time. In my opinion kids will be able to see the subject of substance use/abuse in many places, so why hide that which will be discovered anyway? With the right attitude towards substance at an early age, the child will be able to make good decisions on substance use.
Prompt #7
ReplyDeleteThe main thing that this article online uses a good deal of loaded terminology, which is meant to persuade us right at first glance when we see this article. The author pumps our heads full of statistics to make us believe that there is a base of credibility behind this discussion. This blog post does not seem to affect our values very much. I say this because raw statistics are not going to change my predisposed opinions of drugs and the type of music that I enjoy listening to. Another aspect behind this post is that there is an overemphasis on how a song influences us to do illegal things and do drugs. A statement like this ignores the reality that some people, myself included, listen to songs because of a particular beat that is cool, to check out a new artist, or to listen to the newest and most popular music.
Prompt #7
ReplyDeleteI think that the post improves our knowledge about something that is going on in the world today. While this information may not help us now since we are not raising children of our own. Now we do know when we are raising our own kids that what they are listening does affect what they will do. The information is here for people to be aware of and let them know that it does happen. The idea in other posts has been that artist will write lyrics so that their songs will sell more. I agree with this because the goal of these artists is to make money off of their music. Making music is how they support themselves and their family
promt 7:
ReplyDeleteNo, I do not think this article has any affect on the audience. Teenagers who are fans of the type of music that they have discussed will not be reading this article in the first place. And even if they do will not be phased by the statistics stated in the article because they are already fully aware of the content of the music. The only audience that this article will get a rise from is already concerned parents, but of the actual audience that is listening to this music will not be effected.
Prompt 7:
ReplyDeleteTheres nothing that this article in my opinion does to effectively promote a change in the audience. I can read this, and be concerned about the content of today's music, but my inclination to not listen to explicit music is based on what I already value. Reading this statistic only affects the older generations to implement change for future generations. Kids today know what they are listening to, and will always have the option to choose not to. Our parents generations experienced the same things in their upbringing and what they valued was what they chose to value despite societies standards.