MediaSmarts Tags - Music

Consequently, we would expect youth to take representations of body shape found in imagery associated with music (videos, album covers, interviews with musicians, and so on) very seriously, and research has supported this: one study found that just ten minutes' exposure to music videos featuring thin, sexualized performers led to a measurable increase in body dissatisfaction. [1]

Note: this is the second in a series of columns looking at the history and future of Web 2.0.

In the last instalment of this series we examined the origins of the Do-It-Yourself (DIY) ethic and some of the issues around the definition of “user-created content.” Turning from the theoretical to the practical, we'll now take a look at just what is actually out there, and begin to examine some of the ethical and legal implications.

Note: this is the second in a series of columns looking at the history and future of Web 2.0.

Level(s): Grades 8 - 9

I feel like such an old lady when I’m listening to the radio sometimes. When I’m in the car with my husband we often find ourselves having the I Can’t Believe What Kids Are Listening to These Days conversation, one that often ends with me hitting the OFF button in disgust.

Someone encountering the Internet for the first time might be forgiven for assuming it was created specifically for teenagers. Indeed, the Internet could reasonably be said to have been aging backwards since its birth – the domain first of scientists and the military, then of university students in the 1990s and now children and teenagers.

In this special guest blog, MNet intern and University of Ottawa criminology graduate Aaron Bawn looks at the importance of music to youth identity.

Explicit Lyrics

Music hasn't changed since the days when the Beatles shocked the world. What has changed is that popular music lyrics have become much more explicit.

Hip hop and other genres have received criticism for lyrics with graphic references to drugs, sex, violence, and hate aimed at women, minorities, gays and lesbians. Pop stars such as Katy Perry may be marketed under a "girl power" guise—but what they are really selling to their mostly pre-pubescent audiences is adult sexuality.

Broaden your kids' musical tastes by exposing them to different kinds of music: jazz, classical, folk, country, blues, show tunes, etc., through recording and live concerts. Show them how the music they enjoy didn't develop in a void, but is a culmination of many different earlier musical influences. If your kids like music videos, watch with them and use violent or sexist content as starting points for discussing gender stereotyping and media violence.

Music is one of the most popular and powerful forms of media that kids and teens consume. In this section we tackle issues such as access to questionable content in music and file sharing.