he Machine to name a few. Recently, “Media Use in America” reported that only 10 of the top 40 popular CDs on sale were free of profanity, or lyrics dealing with drugs, violence and sex (8). Two out of three college students said that they had heard violent terms three to four times in the music they listened to the day of the survey (survey). Another important influence in the music industry is the rise of popular networks such as Music Television (MTV), Black Entertainment Television (BET), and Video Hits-1 (VH-1). With 70% of American households receiving cable television, most teenagers have access to MTV and VH-1 and watch an average of a half hour to two hours of music videos daily. Content analyses indicate that up to 75% of concept music videos (those involving a theme instead of a concert performance) contain sexually suggestive material. More than half contain violence, which often includes acts committed against women (Academy of Pediatrics 3-4). Also, in another study, violent videos showed a mean of six acts of violence per 2-3 minute segment; with a total of 462 shootings, stabbings, punchings, and kickings in the 76 videos (Cromie 2). With statistics showing high numbers of violence in music videos, it’s no to no surprise to see youth influenced by their favorite music artist to commit crimes. Society is asking, how it can help prevent teenagers from listening to music that promotes violence? A majority of the college students surveyed agreed that in order to prevent teens from listening to music which promotes violence, parents should monitor what their children listen to (survey). Another survey conducted by the Recording Industry Association of America found that many parents do not know what the lyrics are in the popular music their children listen to (“Media Use in America” 8). Parents should become more informed and concerned on what their children are hearing in their mus...
