Music!!
Do you listen to and watch hip-hop videos? Hip-hop music causes children to act negatively in regards to their speech patterns, walk, and behavior. Arists like Christina Agulera and Khia have songs containing vulgar language, lyrics that degrade women, drugs, and alcohol. Thse songs are mostly heard by the youth. Most children look up to adults especially celebrities.
In the hip-hop industry, just about everybody is wearing name brand clothing and putting vulgar language into thir lyrics. If a child likes a song that artists produce and sing, then the child is going to try to mimic these artists. Christina Aguliera is a singer in the music industry. In 2003, song song called Dirty was released to the public. In the video, she wore an outfit that was not appropriate being that she is seen as a role model for youth. Christina appeared on Saturday Night Live, a television show which comes on channel 4 at midnight, and stated," I did not come into the music industry to become a role model...People are saying that I am not a good role model." It seems like she does not care that the youth look up to her. She is just trying to express herself in the way she feels comfortable. What parent wants their child to listen to music that affects their speech, walk, and attitude toward certain things in a negative way? No parent wants this for his or her child.
According to the American Journal of Public Health, teenagers are linked to high exposure of rap music videos. Teenagers that are listening to and watching music videos seem to be having sex at an earlier age. A study was done on 500 African American female adolescents between the ages of 14 to 18 for 1 year. The adolescents who frequently watched these videos were twice as likely to have multiple sexual partners and more than 1.5 times likely to acquire an STD, use drugs, and drink alcohol during the year study. Found in the American Journal of Public Health, Gina M. Wingood, ScH, MPH, of Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University, stated "These adolescents are modeling what they see as the norm. They pattern themselves after their peers and the artists they consider to be role models on the videos." This study proves that videos can be the reason why children are having sex, using drugs, and drinking at such a young age.
Music artist must realize that children look up to them for guidance. If every child were to act like most rap artists seen on television, then the youth population would be very bad. The lyrics in these songs are too explicit and negative for children. They make children think that drinking, having sex, smoking, and using profane words are okay. More censorship should be placed on music and videos so that children can listen to and watch something that is not so vulgar.
