Music of the past has been used to fuel revolution, to bring attention to the ills of society and to woo our heart's desire. Music has been used as a force for social change and as a pure, fun outlet for free self-expression. As one of the most powerful creative forces we know, music is integrated into almost every aspect of our lives. We use it in ceremony and celebration and we are maximizing the positive, therapuetic qualities of music on our overall well-being. So, how is it that this powerful, creative force is also posing serious health risks to today's youth?
In the 2008 study, "The Rap on Rap: A Content Analysis of BET and MTV's Daytime Music Video Programming," there were a total of 746 sexually explicit scenes or lyrical references in 27.5 hours of programming. That is one reference every 2.2 minutes. Explicit lyrics and obscene gestures occurred once every 3.5 minutes. This programming occurred during daytime hours in which children under 18 made up 39-41% of the viewing audience. So, what difference does this make? After all, every new generation of parents seems to think their child's generation of music is the worst. And youth just want to be free to express themselves, have fun and engage in shared experience with their peers.
Part of the concern is that the videos and lyrics they are exposed to rarely show the long-term adverse effects of risky sexual and violent behavior. It serves as a cultural model for behavior, but doesn't follow through with the benefits it purports.
Studies show that African-American female adolescents with greater exposure to Hip-Hop videos with high sexual content are twice as likely as other girls to have multiple sexual partners and 1.5 times more likely to have a sexually transmitted disease. Approximately one in four sexually active young adults between the ages of 15 and 24 contracts an STD each year and girls comprise a larger share of HIV/AIDS cases among teens than adults. According to the CDC, African-Americans represent 61% of HIV/AIDS cases among 13 to 24-year olds.
With the physical, emotional, and psychological well-being of youth being threatened, it is imperative to train our young girls and boys to be critical thinkers about the media they consume and the actions they take in response to it. Mother's Day Radio is working to increase awareness about the health risks of certain modeled behavior and to help teens make decisions that will positively support their health for years to come.
Through our
Media Justice Peer Mentor Program, in collaboration with California State University-Los Angeles (CSULA) and California State University-Northridge (CSUN), MDR trains college students to become media justice mentors for Los Angeles partner high school students.
For more information, please visit
www.mothersdayradio.org.
