Modern Music Not Fit For Youths

Youth today are bombarded by music and movies that are dangerous for their minds. Mainstream music teaches youths that it is accepted to dress scantily, abuse alcohol, party all night, wield guns and disrespect women. Is this what we want our kids to grow up learning? Do we want this lifestyle to become the norm in society? If we take a look at what is going on around us, we can testify that the effects of modern music and movies have slowly crept into our community and made its way into our homes.

 

Although music is freedom of speech, why can't lyrics be more positive and encouraging to young minds? Why can't positive images be portrayed for our girls to pattern from? Do we want our girls to think that they need to be skinny, almost naked and carry themselves without pride or respect in order to fit in? Do we want our young men to grow up thinking it is accepted to disrespect women and idolize women for their body and not their minds? It is my view that if an artist needs to use sex appeal to sell records, then he is not an artist at all but a money maker who will use any device to make money. 

As parents and leaders in society, we need to take a stand to protect our defenceless kids from these evils which we have allowed into our homes. We need to monitor what our kids listen to and what they watch, we need to build strong bonds with them and build confidence in them so that they do not give into this type of brainwashing but can think for themselves. The music of today encourages peer pressure as it suggests that girls and boys are supposed to look and behave a certain way. The damage in society didn’t just happen; it’s what we exposed them to. As a mom of two girls, I have boycotted this type of music and films and I propose you do the same as well if we are to change society and undo the damage done to our kids. We must expose them to only what is appropriate for their age.

However, I am not discouraged. Although there are many negative songs out there, we are also given much hope from many of our nation’s young and very talented singers who sing to make a difference, not just to entertain and sell records. Their example should be followed by the adult singers who pride themselves on singing about negative and degrading things. Once such admirable young man, Vinesh Ramnarine, son of Raymond Ramnarine of the Dil-E-Nadan, speaks against bullying in his song, I AM A STAR. His song encourages victims of bullying to be strong as their struggle will soon be over. This eight year old strives to portray to bullies that it is not cool to take advantage of others. It is very brave and compassionate of him to want to make a difference. We need more kids like this and more parents like his. I do need to applaud his parents for raising such a fine young man, by I am sure exposing him to positivity and teaching him to respect others. Vinesh is just one example of how good only begets good and why we need to plant more good seeds in the minds of our kids in order to reap more good in society.