The American Academy of Pediatrics says popular music can contribute to depression, suicide, and homicide. The American Medical Association says music with destructive themes could be harmful to some young people. Dr. James Johnson, associate professor of psychology at the University of North Carolina, found that consuming violent music videos makes teens more approving of violent behavior in others and more likely to report being violent themselves. Dr. Hannelore Wass at the University of Florida found that the more negative music s theme, the more its consumers know and believe its message. It s no wonder Newsweek magazine named popular music lyrics as a factor contributing to the culture of aggression.
Young people know that the equipment for living they receive through music is often destructive.
The Institute for Youth Development recently found that teens believe that repetition of negative messages in popular music reinforces the idea that it s okay to use drugs or have casual sex. A 1999 survey found that two-thirds of America s teens believe violence in television and music is partly responsible for school shootings. The teenage murderer of Officer William Robertson in Milwaukee said he was inspired by lyrics from gangsta rapper Tupac Shakur. The teenage murderer of Texas State Trooper Bill Davidson actually defended himself by arguing that violent gangsta rap motivated him to kill. To murder his father in Los Angeles, Christopher Golly lured him to his bedroom by blasting a rock song in which the sing-er fantasizes about killing his father.