14 March 2011

Dear Editor:

I found the article in Music and Culture titled “It’s Easy, but Wrong, to Blame the Music” by Hilary Rosen, to be very interesting but I also have some qualms regarding Rosen herself. It seems obvious that she would be in favor of music regardless of content, and even more obvious that she would claim that music isn’t the cause of anger or violence amongst young Americans but merely a reflection of their feelings. I mean, she was the chief executive officer of the Recording Industry of America from 1998 to 2003 and a prominent spokesperson for the music industry founding programs like “Rock the Vote” and “Stop the Violence”. She is the face of the music industry, so of course she would be opposed to admit that maybe explicit language, sexuality, and violence in lyrics could have an effect on children.

However, I do like that she has made an effort to combat the violence, drug use, and other problems young people now face by founding and supporting programs that help encourage positive action in their communities. For example, the Drug-Free America campaign with artists was a very influential movement and really helped bring awareness to the issue in a way that adolescents were open to. Although I do not agree that the music industry is completely without blame for increasing violence and other societal issues, I do like that Rosen mentioned parents and their roles in preventing their children from listening to things that do not approve of. In my opinion, parental locks on televisions and computers are crucial as well as being aware of what your children are listening to and their feelings. Chances are, your child is listening to heavy metal all day and dressing in black because they are in the midst of teenage angst. Know your children and use music as a tool for opening lines of communication with them.

People are indeed influenced by their surroundings. I find it hard to believe that someone could even say that the media doesn’t infiltrate our brains or that it may affect how we feel and think. In fact, “Children, Violence, and the Media: A Report for Parents and Policy Makers”, also in Music and Culture by Anna Tomasino(62), is a government report that provides statistics and other data on media violence and how it has had detrimental effects on society. The media is definitely not completely at fault for the world’s evils but it could do a better job of steering in a more positive direction knowing their influence on children. “Not every child who watches a lot of violence or plays a lot of violent games will grow up to be violent. Other forces must converge, as they did recently in Colorado. But just as every cigarette increases the chance that someday you will get lung cancer, every exposure to violence increases the chances that someday a child will behave more violently than they otherwise would”(67). It is important that the media take some social responsibility but also important to stop playing the blame game.  

Alexis Martinez