Adolescents use music as a tool for establishing a personal identity. The music preferences of your teen help him to integrate into youth culture by providing an open door to socialization with others. Your teen's perceptive abilities can be overshadowed by the intricate messages of his music choices that exceed his understanding of the world. Teen "acting out" is a common result. Help your teen avoid the pitfalls of today's music by staying tuned to his musical preferences.
Delinquent Behaviors
Music messages that expose teens to explicit violence, sexual themes and stereotypes or substance abuse can potentially produce significant changes in their mood and behavior, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics, or AAP, which explained the behavior in the 2009 study "Impact of Music, Music Lyrics and Music Videos on Children and Youth." The AAP points to several studies that have implicated heavy metal music as being an influential factor in the delinquent behaviors of teens at school.
Teen Insecurities
Your teen's growing perceptive abilities mark her as co-creator in the messages she receives from music lyrics. The rage and destructive messages often found in heavy metal and rap music influence teens who are struggling to establish self-identity by increasing their propensity for risky behaviors, according to a 2002 study by Harvard Medical School's Brad Reddick. The larger-than-life personas of many rap and heavy metal artists give insecure teens a false sense of personal power.
Depression
The often-negative vibes of heavy metal and rap music may intensify established depressive and conduct problems in your teen and increase risks of self-harm and suicidal thoughts. The AAP says that teens dealing with feelings of alienation due to previous failures or problems often seek out music that reflects a pessimistic view of life. Promiscuity and the abuse of drugs and alcohol also have been linked to heavy metal and rap music lyrics and videos.
Gender Relations
Your teen's ability to form relationships with the opposite sex may be influenced by his music choices. This is especially true in terms of female stereotypes and misogynistic lyrics in heavy metal and rap that often portray women in a negative light, reports Reddick. A 2006 study published in the "Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine" lists desensitization to violence, sexual stereotyping and aggression as warning signs of teens exposed to violent long-term music messages.
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