The Associated Press reported on a study showing a correlation between sexually explicit song lyrics on teens? iPods and early sexual behavior.
It seems pretty obvious that a teenager who listens to music with sexually arousing lyrics would become sexually active earlier than a teenager who doesn?t listen to such music.
While the correlation might be a result of already sexually active teens listening to music that validates their behavior, there is an important message in the study?s findings: music can affect our behavior.
Here at BYU students can listen to whatever they want without their parents interfering. It seems that many students take this new freedom to a dangerous extreme. Some students listen to music with violent lyrics and rhythms and sexually suggestive lyrics and themes.
Sometimes music is just in the background and listeners don?t even realize what the lyrics are about. We are constantly bombarded with popular music in stores, malls, and other popular gathering places. We hear it on the radio and on TV commercials.
Much of it is harmless and some may even be uplifting. Some of it, on the other hand is harmful. Students have a responsibility to be aware of the messages they are consuming and to try to control them.
It is difficult to do, since music is played in almost all public places. It is especially hard for some students because they have roommates that blast music in their homes.
Some may argue that just hearing a sexually explicit lyric or a violent image can?t affect behavior that much. That may be true, but music is rhythmic and repetitive by nature. After hearing some songs just once or twice, they may get ?stuck in our heads? and repeat over and over in our consciousness or sub-conscious.
The capability of music to influence our behavior should not be used as an excuse to make mistakes, but we should be aware of it so we can responsibly use it.
Listeners need to be careful of the messages they get through their music, and should also be considerate of the people around them who might not appreciate sexual or violent lyrics.
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This editorial represents the opinion of The Daily Universe editorial board. Opinions expressed here are not necessarily those of BYU, its administration, or The Church or Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
