INFLUENCE OF MUSIC ON YOUTH

Music influence on youth in the world today illustrates how music has an effect on youth either
positively or negatively on their moral life. Furthermore it exposes how they do things, their day to
day activities.

What research questions led me to this thesis statement? The research question that led me to this
thesis statement was to know how music has an effect/influence on youth. The above question help
me to discover my thesis statement because it open my mind on everything about music and which
influence it has on youth either it is just a positive or negative influence on them.

Music provide a way for youth to express and explore most of their feelings. Adolescents often uses
music to address specific developmental themes that is very important to them such as love, loyalty,
independence, friendship and authority.

Studies shows that when people listen to music, their emotions fluctuate and the effect change their
behaviour, studies shown that different languages, tempos, tones and sounds level of music can
cause different effect on emotions, mental activities and physical reactions.

Playing music may has so many benefits to teenagers including academic behaviour, chance for self-
expression and creativity and positive social aspects, it has help teenagers explore ideas and
emotions in a safe way and express themselves without words.

Music plays a significant role in socializing every human being, especially students and teenagers.
Teenagers and students listen to various genres of music like rap, jazz, electrical music, dance music,
e.t.c. Music involving rap, hip hop, hard rock and Christian rock has become the most popular types
of music among students and teenagers. The lyrics in this types of music have become more explicit
in their reference to sex, drug abuse and violence since about past four decades. Listening to such
music may affect a student’s life in many ways. In the beginning the student’s behaviour changes
due to the influential lyrics in the songs. Then the education is affected due to the behaviour change.
After that the student faces problems in his/her social life. Moreover the student’s may also face
problems due to overtime listening to music. So, listening to an inappropriate music does not only
result to ruining one’s future, but it also affects the person’s health.

Music is a powerful medium that is very influential, when a student starts listening to rap or hard
rock, the student’s behaviour also start changing. This is the first step in ruining a student’s future.
The change in behaviour is explained by the mild languages used in the lyrics of the song. The lyrics
have the message that the singer wishes to convey to the audience. The singer influence the
listeners/students by promoting drug abuse, sex and violence. As a result the students believe that
drug abuse and violence are good things to be done. This thought is the main reason to ruin a
student’s future.

Research has shown that fans of heavy metal and rap music showed a greater tendency to engage in
a reckless behaviour than the people who are not fans of music.

Moreover, listening to music at high volume can damage the ear drum permanently. Despite the ear
problems, loud music can also cause problem in the functioning of the brain. As a result, listening to
music for fun can destroy the student’s hearing and thinking.

Overall the effect of popular music on today’s generation is negative. Listening to popular music can
affect the student’s behaviour, education, social life and health. The often reference to sex and drug
abuse in the lyrics and videos are corrupting the mind of students. The effect on education and
behaviour is bad enough to ruin a student’s future. On top of that music also affect social life and
 INFLUENCE OF MUSIC ON YOUTH

health which makes the result worse. Popular music are supposed to civilise citizens but nowadays
popular music is influencing students/teenagers in a negative way by using explicit content.