Music Style and Substance Abuse Usage in Adolescents

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ubstance Running head: MUSIC STYLE AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE Music Style and Substance Abuse Usage in Adolescents Music Style and Substance Abuse Usage in Adolescents Music is a major force in the lives of American adolescents. “Music is probably the most influential and pervasive medium in teenage lives.” Music not only reflects the teen experience, it also defines it. There is a good deal of concern that media depictions of illicit drugs, alcohol, or tobacco inaccurately portray the true nature of drug abuse and its negative consequences. Music videos are a medium that appeals primarily to teenagers and young adults (Substance Use in Popular Music Videos, 2007, para. 1). Listening to music is considered to be the number one leisure activity for adolescents. Music has always played an important role in learning and communication culture. Television and radio has effectively used the combination of fast words, music and faced-paced animation to achieve learning. Music is often a major part of a teenager’s separate world and therefore has long been a staple of kids' media diet, being the media of choice for many adolescents, frequently edging out television. Many teens use music to shape their cultural identity and to help define their social group, whichever is the case- music affects emotions and teens use music to enhance or intensify their mood or to change mood directions. Some social groups are identified primarily by their choice of music- many times this is individually characterized by the clothing one wears, the way an individual wears makeup, the people they choose to call “friends” or be around with and any other social activity one may be involved in. A concern to many interested in the development and growth of teenagers is the negative and destructive themes of some rock, hip-hop, rap

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