Many of you probably listen to new music. By new, I mean anything released in about the last 30 years or so. In every genre with lyrics, there are many prevalent themes among songs. These, as I have noticed through much late-night browsing, are visible, at least to a certain extent, in most newer music. The three I noticed most commonly were respectively partying, love (cheesy love song type love) and sex. Combinations of any of these in any order are not uncommon either. Is this really the type of music that we want to be influencing today’s youth?
We can link many emerging problems in today’s younger demographic to these themes in one way or another. Drugs, teenage pregnancy, alcoholism and mental issues are becoming more and more common all the time. Could it be that media, music included, is influencing young people in a way that can be detrimental to their well-being? From a very young age, children are exposed to a lot of different opinions and views through popular culture. Music, to me at least, is outstanding because it’s so incredibly accessible. I recall listening to the radio with my parents for as long as I can possibly remember. Today, music streaming services are just a click away. Looking back at the songs of my childhood, I now see that a lot of them are not nearly as innocent in nature as I saw as a kid. Looking even more into what’s popular today, I can see that a lot of popular music artists’ suggestions are vulgar, suggestive and sometimes just plain dangerous. 
From a neurological perspective, music and auditory arts can be extremely influential as they trigger multiple series of reactions, producing varying effects. Going back to the popular themes in mainstream and most commonly heard modern music, they are being pumped into youth at an alarming rate, which begs the question of what effects they could cause in their listeners.
As adolescents are the target demographic for most of the music heard today on radio, we must stop to ask what sorts of motivations artists have behind what they write and release. Much of it is based on personal experiences or stories they’ve heard or made up themselves. The personal sentimental value aside, if we take a moment to look back on the deeper meaning (if there actually is one) of music, it could evoke unfavourable reactions in today’s vulnerable and culturally exposed youth.
All evidence, as far as my opinionated and stubborn mind can see, lead to the conclusion that the negative effects stemming from exposure to today’s music outweigh the pleasure that listening causes. If artists had a better sense of discretion and moderation towards the music they churn out to their audience, we may well see a difference in the audience itself. This is not to say that all music is bad. A lot of it is good in one way or another, but the bad is what we should be concerned about.