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Singing
and music have always played an important role in learning
and the communication of culture. Children learn from the
role models what they see and hear. For the past 35 years,
some children's television has very effectively used the combination
of words, music and fast-paced animation to achieve learning.
Most parents
are concerned about what their young children see and hear,
but as children grow older, parents pay less attention to
the music and videos that hold their children's interest.
The sharing
of musical tastes between generations in a family can be a
pleasurable experience. Music also is often a major part of
a teenager's separate world. It is quite common for teenagers
to get pleasure from keeping adults out and causing adults
some distress.
A concern
to many interested in the development and growth of teenagers
is the negative and destructive themes of some rock and other
kinds of music, including best-selling albums promoted by
major recording companies. The following troublesome themes
are prominent:
- Advocating
and glamorizing abuse of drugs and alcohol
- Pictures
and explicit lyrics presenting suicide as an "alternative"
or "solution"
- Graphic
violence
- Rituals
in concerts
- Sex
which focuses on control, sadism, masochism, incest, children
devaluing women, and violence toward women
Parents
can help their teenagers by paying attention to their teenager's
purchasing, downloading, listening and viewing patterns, and
by helping them identify music that may be destructive. An
open discussion without criticism may be helpful.
Music
is not usually a danger for a teenager whose life is happy
and healthy. But if a teenager is persistently preoccupied
with music that has seriously destructive themes, and there
are changes in behavior such as isolation, depression, alcohol
or other drug abuse, a psychiatric evaluation should be considered.
For additional
information see Facts for Families: #3 Teens: Alcohol and
Other Drugs, #10 Teen Suicide, #13 Children and TV Violence,
#55 Understanding Violent Behavior in Children, and # 65 Children's
Threats: When Are They Serious. See also: Your Child
(1998 Harper Collins)/Your Adolescent (1999 Harper
Collins).
Article
#40 Updated 05/00
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