Hello all. Forgive me if this subject has already been posted, but I need opinions to help me write a paper. I would like to know how you think music effects teenagers today. The effects can be positive, negative, or both. Thanks!

music never made me do much of anything except smash a pocket radio.

Hey guys im a new submitter just got a profile today, My name is Donny I love Emo/Screamo and punk music i know its a weird combo but its what i like. send back so we could talk.

Well a lot of times this can be synonymous with, "Little Johnny listened to Marilyn Manson so he smoked heroin."

I don't agree with this at all. Kids and teenagers make their own decisions and to blame it on whatever music they listen to is simply not assuming responsibility for thier actions.

That being said: I love music. It's about half my life (the rest being spent on schoolwork, friends, etc.). I'm in my school's marching band and wind ensemble and I was in jazz band last year. I love it, love it, love it. It makes me so happy to just play and play and actually be good at something and accomplish things.

As for the listening: Well, I listen to everything except for some like Latin and I don't like blue grass. But I listen to everything else and I just...love it. There's really nothing else I can say.

On a side note: I just realized Barkid hasn't been here for 2 months. Where'd he go?

Indeed, music has different affects on people... when I listen to most music, it gives me a high (similar to a drug)... but some music can bring you down... I personally don't care for rap, I think certain rap has adverse effects on people because of the "acceptance" thing that people want, and the rap promoting destructive behaviors... but I don't consider rap music, just bad poetry/spoken word...there isn't (or if there is, it's not much) singing involved... I believe music is the highest form of life at this point, but I'm a music freak...

Great discussion so far. I'm also writing a paper on the issue. My opinion is this, after having read pages upon pages on the issue:
Youth culture uses music to identify. Every music has and idea behind it, as well as an idol, or "spokesman" who leads it. A good example is '90s culture and Kurt Cobain. He's consiered to be the harbringer of Generation X.
Everybody needs something to turn to. But music gives me something to do. I write music, i play music, music is "orgasmic" in a sense. Something that shuts down everything but your ears and completely calms you and puts you into a drug free euphoria.

hey, music makes me feel better, plain as that. If not for music, i'd be dead, no joke!

For the most part, music is energizing, inspirational, and, even as Celtic said, maybe even orgasmic. Of course, it can also be dangerous too. Anything that can evoke such powerful positive emotions can also evoke powerful negative ones as well.

haha, well why don't you post ur paper on here, i'd love to read it and see what you've said! that'd be awesome! wink wink.. lol

I just love how you guys all of a sudden start posting when my paper has already been turned in . Just joking. Thanks for all of your replies; keep talking. I'd still like to hear your opinion!
Thanks

Music is simply orgasmic (sorry for the word). It can drive your senses in anything from love to hate to fear to calm. Another side of you is awakened, kind of like your subconsious. It's simply a necesity in life.

hey-- music is everything to me, and i feel that my life would simply be nothing without it. It changes my moods immensly and always seems to fit what i am thinking.. it's weird, i put in a CD and at least one song on it tells ME what's going on in my life. Every once and a while i write down a few words, things that are going through my head, and it helps so much. Life simply wouldn't be complete without it.. i learn from it and thrive from/with it.... every single day.

Honestly, I think it depends on the person.

I don't think there's a problem. First of all, I don't think music turns people into social liabilities. Because you hear a lyric -- there's no medical proof that a person hearing a lyric is going to act out the lyric. There's also no medical proof that if you hear any collection of vowels and consonants, that the hearing of that collection is going to send you to Hell.

I think this is an interesting topic you bring up, I myself have put a lot of thought into it and what I've come up with is that music is a very big factor in a person's life and especially a young person's life.
Mood often dictates what type of music a person feels like listening too, but music is also quite capable of dictating mood. For instance if you are in a good mood you might listen to something upbeat and happy that gets you moving, whereas if your lover just left you you will probably choose something sad or angry to listen to. However if you don't have a choice in the matter, say your friend is putting cds in the deck, you will find that the music can change your mood positively or negatively.
As for the lyrics in songs, these play a large part in the subconscious, especially if you are one of those people whom is prone to singing along or getting a phrase caught in your head for the day. If the lyrics that you constantly listen to are negative, such as talking about murder, sexuality, etc. you will become a bit desensitized to these topics and some words that you might not commonly use.
I have found that for me personally I have a different music for different situations. When I'm getting ready for work in the morning I like a 90's rock radio station with some goofy morning dj. When I'm at work I'm prone to 80's music or some sort of electronica if I'm on a heavy task. When it's time to get ready for the nightlife I like a nice trance or house beat or in the alternative some feel good hip hop. When I'm riding in the car I like jazz or hip hop for the early evening and techno or trance for the 3am ride home to help me concentrate. Get the picture?

It really depends on the music. You can't just say "music" and think that's that. You'd have to specify. Are you talking about rap and hard rock/punk? Then I'd agree with Jam. If you're leaning more toward classical, then I'd have to say that it inspires people to be better. I've seen it happen. Like I said, it really depends on the music to say that the effects are positive or negative.

I don't think that all music has negative effects. We recently had an article published in our school paper about music and its effects on teens. I deffinitly think it depends on what kind of music you listen to. I can't stand most of the music that seems so popular today. I like Incubus, Bright Eyes, Norah Jones, Chevelle... I can't stand rap, or other songs that talk about, sex, getting shot... and all the other crap thats virtually meaningless. But I have concert band in the morning every other day. And I'm in a better mood on those days than the days that I don't have it. Listening to music makes me do better and be a happier person... I don't know what I'd do without it.

hmmm... most of the effects of music today has influenced teens to be wild or something... I still love pop music but now, when I go to MTV channel, it makes me cringe everytime I see those music videos tinged with cuss words and sexually explicit videos... I even asked myself, "where did all those god songs disappear to?" Anyway, you can write in your paper that many of the music these days have encouraged many teens to become singers too.... Like in American Idol or whatever..... Also, there are a lot of disadvantages too, like many of the music these days are promoting too much sex and cussing..