The Effect of Lyrics in Music on Society

medicament and its lyrical surfeit has become an total component of society as it constitutes an essential part in approximately peoples lives. The advent of MP3 players, ipods and similar gadgets has cemented the widespread reach of melodic lyrics, particularly among the so called MTV generation. While this point gougenot be called into question, the exact nub of lyrics on society at titanic is debatable and is the subject of over much controversy. The reason for this is the paucity of research on the said subject. In response to public concern over the hurtful effects of limpid lyrics, much has been said and written almost it but there is little scientific evidence to back up opposing claims. A c areful psychoanalysis of the existing research literature, however, reveals that the lyrics in unison exercises a profound cultivate on society and to a greater extentover, there is disturbing evidence to show that it does more harm than good.Arguments and Counterargument s about the Effect of Lyrics in MusicIt has been argued that the lyrical content of harmony has precious little effect on the collective psyche of the masses and that the focus on its pervasive influence and perceived harmful effects is largely uncalled for. The meaning of call options is subject to interpretation, it has been claimed and as such depends only when on the listener and his or her individual perception.Besides songs nowadays are layered with intricate meaning and severely tax the cognitive skills of the listeners who normally misinterpret the lyrics or simply dont care about them. Some are of the opinion that it is solely music as distant to its lyrical content that affects the masses. Studies conducted by Rosenbaum and Prinsky as well as Wass et al. nourish supported this claim by revealing that listeners have reported that song lyrics are not particularly important to them and that they are more attracted to qualities of music than they are to the lyrics (qtd. in Hansen & Hansen 178).All these viewpoints are misleading as they underrate the sheer insidiousness and impact of the lyrics in songs. The tremendous popularity of rap music bears will to the power of words, particularly since rap or hip hop focuses exclusively on the lyrics and music merely serves to accentuate the clever wordplay and inbred themes. Thus the genre of rap music with its attendant controversy and deranged fan following highlights the immense effect lyrics have on society. notwithstanding Hansen and Hansen have concluded from their studies that despite low levels of lyric comprehension and believe of song lyrics, listeners were able to extract themes of sex, suicide, craze, and satanism from songs by popular tough coat groups using schematic processing (178) . On the basis of this and former(a) studies, it whitethorn be concluded that the lyrics in music have the dexterity to shape impressionable minds, influence beliefs, determine ones medical prognosi s towards life and subsequently at an overt level, affect the behavior and actions of individuals.Lyrics whitethorn enable people to become cognizant of socially relevant issues and commiserate with their fellow humans. But more often that not lyrics of popular music appears to spawn harmful effects that have dangerous implications for our society.The molestful make of Lyrics and Its Impact on SocietyOver the years, the lyrical content of music has undergone a metamorphosis of sorts. Lyrical themes no longer celebrate wild-eyed love and peace but glorify pleasures of the flesh, aggression and drug use. so people have become increasingly concerned with lyrics replete with knowledgeable and violent overtones, particularly their influence on youngsters.This concern is not mislay because in the words of Hargrave and Livingstone, studies reveal consistent messages in music lyrics that may be considered harmful including messages promoting violence among boys / men, homophobic mes sages, or those encouraging archaeozoic sexuality among young girls / women (109) . Contemporary music abounds with alarmingly casual descriptions of sexy and violent activities and has had the effect of desensitizing the masses and prompting individuals to make foolish decisions.With regard to the accusation of harmful effects, lyrics have been directly implicated as a study by Rubin, West, and Mitchell (2001) found that fans of rap and heavy metal music scored significantly higher on measures of aggression than did fans of other tuneful genres (Giles 67) . And of course it is these particular genres that have come under fire for their fell lyrics. Thus there is little doubt as to the effects of explicit lyrics on listeners.Thanks to the offensive material conveyed by songs, many of the evils that hatred our society can be directly linked to the lyrics in music. For deterrent example the increased incidence of sexual activity among adolescents, teen pregnancies, drug use, vio lence against homosexuals, women and other minority groups may be traced to the lyrical content of music. In view of the existing evidence, the pervasive effect of lyrics cannot be taken softly as it threatens to undermine the very foundation on which society is based. codaIn light of the evidence outlined above, one may safely assert that the lyrics in music affect society to a large extent. In addition to their profound influence it is found that their effects can be harmful to the individual as well as society. therefore the impact of lyrical content cannot be ignored or underestimated and except research is imperative to determine its exact nature.Works CitedGiles, David. Media Psychology. Mahwah NJ Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 2003.Hansen, Christine, and Ranald Hansen. Music and Music Videos. Media Entertainment The Psychology of Its Appeal. Eds. Dolf Zillmann and Peter Vorderer. Mahwah NJ Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 2000. 175 96.Hargrave, Andrea and Sonia Livingstone. Har m and offence in media Content A Review of the Evidence. Portland Intellect Books, 2006.