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The Music Made Me Do It
How Much Influence Does Music Have on Teens?
By Carma Haley Shoemaker
Dr. Gail Gross, a licensed psychologist in Houston, Texas, states that although consistently listening to or singing dark, depressing or inappropriate lyrics can have a negative effect, these are not directly responsible for the behaviors themselves. "Teens who are said to commit suicide or acts of violence as a result of a song they listened to do not do these things as a result of the music," Gross says. "These types of behaviors stem from a much deeper problem and should be addressed as such – not as a result or influence of a song and its lyrics."
According to a report by the Arts Censorship Project of the American Civil Liberties Union in New York, a direct link between antisocial behavior and the exposure to the content of any form of artistic expression has never been scientifically established.
"There have always been very explicit images through art over the years with no evidence that any of it causes or fuels the presence of inappropriate behaviors," says Rebecca Batties, executive vice president of programming and marketing for Under Ground Online, a popular online site for teen music. "Today's society is extending upon what has always been there in culture. Just as the musicians or artists of the 50s talked about falling in love, having a good time, sex and rebellion, today's musicians and artists are doing the same but just using the trends and styles of today to do it. The difference is that no one blamed the arts for antisocial behavior then and they do now."