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The Music Made Me Do It
How Much Influence Does Music Have on Teens?
By Carma Haley Shoemaker
"I don't know of any teen who looks at a warning label on a CD and then says, 'I better not buy that because it may be inappropriate for me,'" says Alec Shoemaker of Chester, Va. "I think the warning labels are for the parents more than they are the teens. If parents see the warning label on a CD they were going to buy for their teen, they'll put it back. But if a teen likes the music, they will buy it whether or not there is a label on the cover."
Parents hold another view on the effectiveness of warning labels and feel their use prevents music from being censored while providing a safety net for teens. "Music, like writing, should not be censored," says Karen Jenista, a homemaker from Colorado Springs, Colo. "Control should be at the parental level. As much as I may not like some lyrics, etc., the artists have the right to sing them. In that light, I think the warning labels are sufficient, much like the ratings of movies. If an artist's recordings have a warning label, the parents don't buy it for their teens. Mission accomplished."
For decades, music has been blamed for antisocial or inappropriate behavior in teens. Examples include Ozzy Osbourne's "Suicide Solution," AC/DC's "Shoot to Thrill," and Blue Oyster Cult's "Don't Fear the Reaper." These titles are just a few that have been said to cause American teens to commit suicide. "Some rock artists actually seem to encourage teen suicide," says Susan Baker, the vice president of the PMRC. "In Centerpoint, a small Texas town, a young man took his life while listening to the music of AC/DC. He was not the first."