With music consumption playing such an important role in the leisure time of youth, one may be curious about the reasons behind the consumption. Why do teens listen to music for so many hours? Why do they gravitate towards certain types of music? The answers to these questions can be found in the normal developmental tasks or characteristics of adolescence. For example, a primary task is identity development. The adolescent is attempting to discover who he/she is among others and who he/she will be in the future. Music and dance can provide outlets for self-expression and self-definition. One's musical taste can be used to distinguish oneself or one's peer group from others.  Another primary task is the development of autonomy or a sense of independence from parental ties. The lyrics of teen music address issues such as independence and adult authority. Also, youth tend to see their music as superior to and separate from the adult world. Furthermore, the need for increased independence and a sense of self results in increased time with peers rather than the family. Studies show that there is a strong link between teens' familiarity and use of popular music and their popularity with peers.

 Teens' music tends to speak to the primary concerns of adolescents, such as love, relationships, and autonomy. For example, teens that are happy in love prefer love-celebrating music, and teens experiencing a "break-up" prefer love-lamenting music. These preferences suggest that teens find comfort and understanding in the lyrics of their music.

 Teens also report a number of other reasons for listening to music or watching music videos. These include passing time, relieving boredom and loneliness, setting the mood, providing entertainment, relaxing and relieving stress, coping with anger or hurt feelings, enjoying the rhythm or beat, and dancing.

As parents of adolescents or those who work with teens, you may be asking yourself what actions you should take regarding teens' music consumption. Like other primary areas in the lives of youth (e.g., television/movie viewing, leisure time with peers, dating, sexuality, driving, drugs, etc.), you should communicate effectively with teens. Talk to teens about the music they like and dislike and their reasons for this.

 Get involved. Stay aware of the types of music teens listen to and what the lyrics might communicate. Ask questions to see if they are even paying attention to the lyrics, and if they are, how they feel about what the lyrics say. In one study, over 70% of the teens were more interested in the sounds than the meanings of their favorite songs, and for those teens who could provide descriptions of the songs, they appeared to have only a superficial understanding of the lyrics. Many teens cannot fully understand the lyrics of their favorite songs due to their stage of cognitive development. The lyrics in teens' music frequently include symbolism and complex metaphors; interpretation of the lyrics requires a level of thinking, knowledge, and experiences that teens are just beginning to acquire. Furthermore, research suggests that teens interpret songs with sexual or violent references to be about love, friendship, growing up, life's struggles, having fun, cars, success, politics, and religion.
 

Getting involved means being flexible and listening to the music teens enjoy rather than what you enjoy from time to time. While this may be somewhat unpleasant, it will keep you aware of what type of music teens are listening to and will show that you respect their taste in music even if you don't prefer it. Car rides with teens--on daily trips or vacations--provide the perfect opportunity to listen to teens' music and to talk to them about it. Most parents of teens experience the radio station being changed immediately when their teens enter the car. Or if the parents' "old" music is playing, teens will usually counteract this scenario with headphones and their own tapes or CDs. Adults should work with the teen(s) in the car to find a comfortable balance.

Sources:

Fine, G. A., Mortimer, J. T., & Roberts, D. F. (1990). Leisure, work, and the mass media. In S. S. Feldman & G. R. Elliott (Eds.), At the threshold: The developing adolescent (pp. 225-252). Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

Frith, S. (1981). Sound effects: Youth, leisure, and the politics of rock 'n' roll. New York: Pantheon Books.

Greenfield, P. M., Bruzzone, L., Koyamatsu, K., Satuloff, W., Nixon, K., Brodie, M., & Kingsdale, D. (1987). What is rock music doing to the minds of our youth? A first experimental look at the effects of rock music lyrics and music videos. Journal of Early Adolescence, 7, 315-329.

Kleiber, D. A., & Rickards, W. H. (1985). Leisure and recreation in adolescence: Limitation and potential. In M. G. Wade (Ed.), Constraints on leisure (pp. 289-317). Springfield, IL: Charles C. Thomas.

Larson, R., & Kubey, R. (1983). Television and music: Contrasting media in adolescent life. Youth and Society, 15, 13 -31.

Lull, J. (1987). Listeners' communicative uses of popular music. In J. Lull (Ed.), Popular music and communication (pp. 140-174). Newbury Park, CA: Sage.

Prinsky, L. E., & Rosenbaum, J. L. (1987). "Leer-ics" or lyrics: Teenage impressions of rock 'n' roll. Youth & Society, 18, 384-397.

Santrock, J. W. (1993). Adolescence: An Introduction (5th ed.). Dubuque, IA: Brown & Benchmark

Zillmann, D., & Gan, S. (1997). Musical taste in adolescence. In D. J. Hargreaves and A. C. North (Eds.), The socia psychology of music (pp. 161-187). New York: Oxford University Press.

Ups & Downs is edited by Stephen T. Russell, Ph.D., Assistant Youth Development Cooperative Extension Specialist, University of California, Davis