The Music And Youth

Adolescence is a very loaded word that normally is referenced to stubborness, mood swings, bad attitudes, and rebellion. This is something that is a common theme between most of the first world countries but according to Margaret Mead’s anthropological research on ‘Coming of Age in Samoa’ (1973), there is a complete lack of turmoil during adolescence at all. A more isolated culture is capable of growing through the years of adolescence without showing the same emotional signs that western cultures show in their youth.

Robert Epstein (2007) states that this phenomenon on rebellious behavior is linked with the little respect that is given to the youth during these years when they are as cognitively capable and emotionally mature as the adult population.

There is a big difference in the western culture and a more isolated society when it comes to how the young are treated and viewed so when the youth in western culture do not feel like they have anyone paying attention to them they tend to use music as an outlet for their emotions and to obtain the feeling of acceptance.

Since most youths believe they have no one to listen to them they need an emotional outlet which is why the significance of suffering is a vital part of adolescent music since this is the only public display of emotion they feel they can show (James Lull 1987). Popular music that connects best with the youth has to do with everyday struggles such as individuality, drugs, sexuality, family values, religion, identity and especially helps view social change.

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You can see why specific music is so appealing and is seeked out by certain individuals, or even groups of peers. When they are emerged in these themes and schemas for a long period of time they can become susceptible for the messages and ideas that come with the lyrics. This music is so impactful that according to Adrian North and David Hargreaves (2008) musical preference is fixed by early adulthood and that is not normally the “popular music” of their adolescent years, but the music that had been the most significant to them at specific parts of their life. Erik Erikson’s (1965) shows that identity formation is something that once it is established, that identity is fixed. Along with this music psychologists also show that musical preference are also rooted firmly in place around the same time of identity formation. This shows that music has a strong correlation with ideas and values of adolescents when they are finally realizing who they are.