In today’s society media has proven to be a very powerful tool. Media has the capability of influencing many people and slanting public opinion in a certain direction. As children we are very vulnerable and believe what we see or hear through the different technological mediums. Children today “are actually exposed to the equivalent of 8 ½ hours a day of media content, even though they pack that into less that 6 ½ hours of time” (Rideout, Roberts, and Foehr 193). Children of all ages are curious about many issues and that curiosity makes parents very scared.
With the emergence of “Gangsta Rap” taking the music world by storm in the late 1980’s, parents became worried if their children would react to the negative lyrics. Jennifer Copley proposes the question, “Many parents are alarmed when they discover that their children have developed a taste for rap music, but is there really any reason for concern?” (Rap Music’s Psychology Effects).
Reference to violence and drug abuse had parents from the suburbs in a frenzy. However, I have been an avid music lover (in particular Hip-Hop) since I was eight years old. These depictions and stories that these “poets” told fascinated me. Even at the tender age of eight, I could have been easily influenced to react to some of the artist’s stories. However, what hip-hop music did for me as a child was make me more socially aware of issues that were going on in the inner cities.
Groups like Public Enemy and N.W.A. painted vivid pictures of the turmoil and chaos that occurred on a daily basis in urban communities. If anything hip-hop became an outlet or vehicle for me to learn about our world that I wouldn’t necessarily have learned in grade school.
In my opinion, I believe the media blames “hip-hop” for many societal issues. The most recent thing I can think of is when radio personality Don Imus referred to the women’s Rutgers basketball team as “Nappy-Headed Hoes”. His remarks had a direct effect on hip-hop viewers and divided the genre. Even though it came out of his mouth, the media twisted it and turned to hip-hop as the reason he used the word.
African American activists became involved and started to protest against hip-hop music and the vulgar language that is used. As a result of the media uproar many hip-hop artists refused to curse and made their albums profanity-free. What does this tell our children though? Should they not be allowed to express themselves in a way that can be very therapeutic? Do they have to limit themselves and follow society because the media tells us what’s wrong and right?
Overall, what influence has hip-hop had in life? Do you think that the media today is influencing kids not to listen to Hip -Hop? Lastly, if you were a parent would you be worried if your child listened to hip-hop music?
Further information :http://cognitive-psychology.suite101.com/article.cfm/rap_musics_psychological_effects
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ReplyDeleteMost hip hop music tells stories of their youth, which is about drug dealing or just drugs in general, murder, violence, and sex. Although some of the music might be vulgar and profane, it also has powerful meaning behind everything they say, as well as a lot of inspirational quotes. Similar to Craig I also appreciate their music, but at the same time, I do think some of the lyrics are a bit vulgar and profane. It is difficult to prevent kids from listening to this type of music or any genre for that matter if the parent is not next to them every second throughout the day. Hip hop is widely heard, and in order for kids to prosper in life and not imitate violent or unlawful words and behaviors, they need to be taught right versus wrong. Hopefully, most children are taught not to cuss, participate in violent behavior, and the differences of right and wrong, so that when they hear and see violent innuendos they do not imitate or mimic them. In chapter seven of Mass Communication Theory, noted “research on violent television and film, videogames, and music reveals unequivocal evidence that media violence increases the likelihood of aggressive and violent behavior in both immediate and long term context” (Baran, Davis 193). When children are exposed to media, such as hip hop music, violent video games, violent television shows and movies, it is questionable to what extent these viewings/hearings effect those particular children.
ReplyDeleteIn recognition to Craig’s blog, I believe the media influences children to listen to hip-hop because of the negative implications that is suggested. However, if the media is talking about how inappropriate the hip hop music is for young children to listen to then it is going to make them want to listen to it more. When the media is continuously making references to hip hop artists, songs, music videos, and so forth, young children are going to want to know what this is all about. Children are curious and they like to be ‘in the know’ of what is going on in the world. Unfortunately, children often experience the world way before they should because of all the different mass mediums that they are easily exposed to, “Violence tears across the television screen through many types of programs from music videos and entertainment shows to reality programming and the evening news” (McQuail 399). This idea explains the early window theory, which says that the media allows the children to see the world before they are even able to be part of it, and because of this there is a loss of childhood (Baran, Davis 193). An underlying issue is how can parents stop their kids from listening to this type of music and when should they be allowed to start listening to this type of music? They really cant stop their kids from listening to it because kids can find a way to listen to it whether its on the television, the Internet, the radio, their friend’s Ipod, and so forth. Another issue is some children are allowed to listen to hip hop so they’ll repeat the vulgar words to their peers who may not be allowed to listen to hip hop. These words will then be repeated by perhaps ten other children because most of them know that cussing isn’t appropriate, but doing what is not appropriate is “cool” for kids. This then leads back to the fact that parents have to teach their children what is right versus wrong because in the end the children are going to be exposed to such negative words and violent behaviors. If I were a parent, I would not be worried if my child listened to hip-hop. I know that either way my child will eventually be exposed to the genre because there are many ways they could hear the music so I would not waste my time preventing them to listen to hip-hop. Instead, I would help them understand the powerful meanings behind the messages that are being sung, so that they don’t only mimic the negative words and actions that are being spoken.
Reflecting on Craig’s opinion on hip-hip and perception via the media, I agree with the overall premise of his analysis. Reading George Gerbner’s article on social indicators, hip-hop music and the blame it receives for several societal issues proves Craig’s points.
ReplyDeleteHip-hop music, as I’ve always perceived it through the media, is commonly associated with negative stereotypes such as drugs, sex, and violence. If you are a casual listener, or base your facts off media distribution, these assumptions undoubtedly seem accurate. However, after reading Gerbner and reflecting on Craig’s interpretations, the problem isn’t necessarily the media but more of the restraints we, the media consumers, put on cultural understandings because of our specific unique interests.
Gerbner explains that “Selective habits of participation in one’s cultural environmental limit each of us to risky, and often faulty, extrapolation about the cultural experience of heterogeneous communities” (Gerbner, 145). In other words he is saying that consumers of the media can make inferences, many times inaccurate ones, due to our lack of cultural experiences and cultures we are unfamiliar with. To relate this back to Craig’s analysis, the hip-hop culture and community can often be misunderstood simply due to a lack of knowledge we have towards the hip-hop community.
Furthermore, the article goes on to explain how we are often quick to judge a message based on if we like it or not and/or disagree with what is being said. Gerbner suggests that instead we interpret the message and see if we can first understand it. If we can become educated on how to interpret a message our interpretations should work in reversal: understand the message then draw an opinion. Craig discussed how the media tells us what’s wrong and what’s right and how a direct affect is society limiting themselves. This can be avoided if we take each message the media supplies and break it down and interpret it for ourselves.
To answer Craig’s final questions, I don’t believe that the media is influencing children in their musical preferences. We have to understand that their job is to report the news and that no story or message is unbiased. Baron and Davis discuss that violent media distribution through a variety of mediums such as television, music, video games, etc. has a direct affect on violent behavior. On the contrary, however, this can be avoided if, again, are capable of analyzing the messages coming from these different mediums. As media consumers and more specifically future parents of these children who may be “influenced”, we have to understand this concept of the media. Like any other skill we can’t expect to be given information and assume to grasp it without any analysis. If I was a parent I would allow my child to listen to hip-hop as long as I was aware that the messages these artists are broadcasting are harmless. In order to be judge these messages, one can use Gerbner’s general analysis of public messages.
Hip-Hop is a different way to inform society. I believe in today’s society rappers are rapping about what is “hot” at the time. I don’t believe every rapper has been raised like the way they speak through their music. On the other hand, there are some rappers that were raised in the “ghetto” or “the hood” and seen or did everything they rap about. Personally, I do think some rappers are too vulgar with their songs, but they still sell a huge amount of albums. Why are those rappers that talk about shooting someone or selling drugs on a corner sell the most? Why are those rappers that talk about having sex with different women every night sell? Because the young society is living this way and they know they are going to buy their alum. Most rappers that rap disrespectfully are targeting the youth because they are the ones that are listening. People have to remember this in a business and everyone is trying to get rich and young rappers know how to do that.
ReplyDeleteIn chapter 7 Baran and Davis talk about the idea of an “early window.” “The early window allows children to see the world well before they are capable of competently interacting with it.” (Baran and Davis 193). I agree with the idea of early window when raised in a family that doesn’t let their children be so involved with the media. But when raised in a rough area where violence is a big part of society there is no such idea of “early window.” Personally, growing up in “the ghetto” I saw all the violence and selling drugs every single day. Everyday walking home from school I use to see drug dealers and gangsters on the street corner. I never got into all the violence and drugs because I was raised by a family that already went through the violence. They didn’t let me get involved because I had a future. I believe Hip-Hop has nothing to deal with the social problems we are facing today. I think the media is trying to blame someone for these problems and Hip-Hop was thrown into the mix due to the words in songs.
To answer Craig’s questions, I think Hip-Hop has a big influence in the youth’s lives. Of course young teenagers are going to try to imitate rappers because that’s how society is designed today. But, like I said before, teenagers have to realize that they rap about it because they want to be rich. Most of them aren’t living there lives on the corners selling drugs. There are those rappers that do carry guns around but I think it is for their protection. If I were a parent I would let my children listen to Hip-Hop because I cannot control what they doing 24 hours of the day. I will explain to them the difference and make them understand they shouldn’t act out what they hear through music.
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ReplyDeleteI feel that hip-hop has had a very interesting influence in today’s world. It has made people really debate about something, which I feel is almost comical. People keep trying to want to hide the cruelties in the world, when in reality, they are happening on a daily basis. People love to take something that seems “out of place” and blame all problems on it. Remember Elvis in the 50’s? Today, the man is considered a music god.
ReplyDeleteAs the author of this blog stated, hip-hop gives people an insight to reality. If anything, it can sometimes help people. I remember being an 11-year-old girl living on Long Island and thinking that the whole world was filled with shopping malls and endless money to chase the ice-cream man. Suddenly, when I heard lyrics about drugs and violence, I realized that I should not have taken my perfect life for granted. I learned to appreciate things better. Now, I do not think that all hip-hop is great. I do not find songs about killing people or raping girls to be at all inspiring. But just like everything in life, there will always be some bad seeds.
I think people in the media today are trying to influence kids and tell them not to listen to hip-hop, but the more the people persuade, the more kids won’t want to listen. In Chapter 7 of “Mass Communication Theory”, Baron and Davis state “feedback loops enable sources to monitor the influence of their messages on receivers. But just as important, receivers can turn in influence sources. If the effects are not what was expected or desired, a source can keep altering a message until the desired feedback is obtained” (173). I think that Baran and Davis’ quote strongly applies to people against hip-hop in the media. People in both public and private are always saying that kids should think for themselves and learn to be independent. But after saying that message, the people seem to say, “You can be yourself, but don’t listen to that.” “You can be independent but don’t like that artist”. It’s ridiculous.
If I was a parent, yes, I would be worried about what my kid was listening to, but only at certain times in my child’s life. I would consider myself to be a bad parent if I let my 5-year-old do his homework listening to 50 Cent or go to sleep with the sweet sounds of Lil’ Wayne in his ear, but at the same time, once my kids reached a certain age (perhaps between 11 and 13) I would have to realize that one way or another, the media was going to find them. The more parents try to shelter their children, the more their children will rebel and want the things that their parents aim to hide, such as hip-hop.
If an individual actually believes that hip-hop music is the sole contributor to society’s problems, that individual is delusional. Where did society get this idea that sheltering a child from a media outlet is a good thing? Do I feel as though there is an appropriate age that a child should be exposed to hip-hop music? Absolutely. However, that is for no one to decide but the child’s parents/guardians. Do I feel as though even if a parent makes a conscious effort to prevent their child from listening to hip-hop there are ways that the child will be exposed to it anyway? Absolutely. However, there is a way to deal with such an issue…communication! Talk to the child. Discuss the language/content used in hip-hop music and how it relates to the origin of its creation. Have we become so enthralled in our text messages that we have forgotten how to have a simple conversation? Educate, don’t ignore. Let a child ask questions and answer them. Hiding a child from a media outlet does not encourage good behavior, it encourages ignorance. Conversely, one could argue, “What if a child does not have a proper role model?” Well then perhaps we should let the child appreciate the art. Hip-hop is an art after all, is it not? Sure, to me The Beatles’ “Let it Be” strikes more of a chord than listening to Lil Wayne say “Yeah!” over and over…but one man’s trash is another man’s treasure, right? What is art if not objective?
ReplyDeleteJames touched upon Baran and Davis’ idea of an “early window”. I think that this concept is extremely relevant in discussing the effects of hip-hop music on children and society. We are all children at one point, but no one seems to be able to relate to how they see the world. Their minds are influential, imaginative, and pure and somehow we believe that allowing them to listen to hip-hop music is going to corrupt these attributes. Could the amount of profanities used in hip-hop songs affect a child’s vocabulary? It could; but comedian, George Carlin sold over one million copies of his monologue, “Seven Words”, which went into depth about the seven curse words you can’t say on television. So, is comedy contributing to society’s problems? Could the amount of sex discussed in hip-hop culture affect a child’s outlook on sex? It could; but let’s not forget that pornography is one of the biggest businesses in . So, is pornography contributing to society’s problems? And if parents think that their children are protected from comedy and porn, they are delusional as well. The media is everywhere!
In regards to the cultivation theory, Gerbner seems to believe that the media affects an individual which in turn affects society. I believe that is far-fetched, especially when it comes to children. If something has an effect on a CHILD, that does not mean it will have the same effect on CHILDREN. I feel as though that is an important concept to remember. If one child is negatively affected by hip-hop music, can this alter a society? I don’t think so.
I used to have a Martin Brodeur jersey. My mother told me that the only time I would take it off is when I took a bath…and sometimes I would even keep it on then! She said I would roller blade around the house slapping a puck everywhere I went. I’m sure society does not have a problem with that, right? Well, what is the difference if a child wants to wear clothing to mimic his/her favorite hip-hop star? Athlete vs. Artist? Are we so mundane that we have come to believe that an athlete hold more merit than a musician? Did we forget that Brodeur, arguably ice hockey’s greatest player, was in trouble twice for cheating on his wife with her twin sister? It’s okay…you’re right middle-America. Keep your kid in a Nike sweater vest and a golf club in his hand…as long as he’s playing golf and not listening to hip-hop he’ll be just fine. Let’s just hope he doesn’t grow up to cheat on his wife, get his teeth smashed in, and end up in a sex rehabilitation center in Mississippi. What to do now? Maybe you should have let little Jonny listen to the new Jay-Z song instead.
Hip hop like most forms of music has a large influence, and with that said is very controsvial , however in the history of music what from of popular music has caused controversy, Bob Dylan, now regarded as a genius was at one point seen with what is wrong with the youth of America. In terms of hip hop as the author noted many people are troubled by the language used and the stories it portrays. While I do not condone violence and murdering, and any gang behavior some of the all time classic films illustrate just that such as the Godfather. In other words I do not believe that Hip Hop has a large impact on life I think some kids certaintly identify with it but I dont belilive that hip hop has a huge influence on life, however there are exceptions such as Public Enemies Fight The Power which turned into an anthem for inner city youths which lead Spike Lee to use in his film Do The Right Thing. I think that media does not encourage kids to listen to hip hop this is shown by the fact that MTV stopped showing music videos as soon as hip hop artists began emerging as true stars, I’m sure it also had to do with the realility tv show craze, in addition tv shows showcasing no urban environment typically do not use rap music. If I were a parent I would not care what music they listen to because I would make sure that they knew it was just a song and it should dictate what you do in life. In others just because they identify with a song does not mean that they have to live by it.
ReplyDeleteStephen Elfenbein