Listening to Music
“On any given day, 85% of U.S. 8- to 18-year-olds spend at least a few minutes listening to one of the audio media, and 44% spend in excess of an hour.” —The Kaiser Family Foundation, Generation M: Media in the Lives of 8–18 Year-olds, 2005
Benefits
- Music is a powerful communicator of emotion and an excellent channel of self-expression. It can also be a great middle ground that brings parents and children together. But remember, every generation is defined by its own music, and kids today are no exception.
Risks
- Music piracy is not just unethical; it’s illegal. Sharing music with friends, downloading a few songs for free, or even purchasing an illegally copied CD may not seem like a big deal when done infrequently, but the recording industry is becoming increasingly tough in enforcing copyright regulations, and is even pressing charges on consumers. In some cases, parents have been prosecuted for what their children did using the family computer.
- For many teens and tweens, musical artists are not just entertainment; they have an attractive lifestyle that these kids would like to adopt themselves. Parents may not always approve of the influence music videos and related products have on their children. Have frank discussions with your children about what they are listening to and watching. Ask them what they admire about the artists, and why. Tell your children that it is okay to admire and appreciate what musical artists bring to our lives but it is also important to be realistic about how much we allow them to influence our day-to-day activities.
Ratings
In 1985, National PTA worked with the Recording Industry Association of America to reach an agreement that specified that music containing explicit lyrics should be clearly identified. This led to the creation of the Parental Advisory Label.
The decision to place the Parental Advisory Label on an album is a voluntary one made jointly by the record company and the artist. The Parental Advisory Label, which is plainly displayed in nonremovable form on the front cover of the album, is placed on an album when the lyrics may be too explicit for all audiences (particularly children) and, out of respect for the artist’s creativity and expression, it is decided not to rerecord, revise, or remove the potentially offensive songs. In some cases, an edited version of an album with a Parental Advisory Label is created; this album will have an Edited Version Label.
The rating of music in this way is not an exact science. Parents may not always agree with the decisions made by the recording companies and artists. When making decisions about what music is appropriate for their children, parents should listen to the songs or albums themselves and talk to their children about the music and artists.
Resources
What you can do
- Stress the importance of buying music legally. Have continual conversations with your children about how consuming pirated music is both unethical and illegal. In addition, make sure you are a good role model for your children. You can’t expect your children to refrain from downloading music illegally if they see you doing it.
- Make it easy for your child to buy music legally. There are many online music stores where your children can explore and experiment as their tastes in music change and grow. To make sure your children are exploring in a legal way, consider creating a family account with an online music retailer and using songs as rewards for good behavior and grades.
- Share music with your child. Trade favorite CDs with your child, and be aware of what you are listening to. Try to figure out why your children enjoy the music they listen to; don’t be afraid to ask them if you simply don’t understand. Likewise, talk to your children about the music that you like and the songs that hold important memories for you.
- Establish a Media Use Contract with each child in your family. It is important that you have a conversation with each child to set rules and limits that are appropriate for him or her. In your conversation, be explicit about how you intend to monitor your child’s music consumption and what the consequences will be if the contract is broken. Once the contracts have been signed, post them in a prominent place in your home as a reminder.
