Introduction

The issue of dancehall’s influence on Jamaican youth has been a hot topic amongst parents, teenagers,

high school principals and the Broadcasting Commission of Jamaica in recent times. The

Commission’s revised rules and regulations concerning what can and cannot be played on local radio

stations was met with much controversy, causing quite a hoopla among all interested parties. When

considered, the impact of music on youth has to be evaluated.

As a result, the purpose of this research is to examine how music influences young people. More

specifically, this research will examine the music listening habits of youth, and the attitude of youth to

music. This research will also explore what students expect from music or the standards they hold

music to. The research will also give the students an ability to mention what changes they would make

to the current features of our music. Additionally, this research will explore the nature of music that

would help in the human development potential.

This problem interested the researcher because of observed behaviour of youth. Young people respond

to music in various ways; music serves different purposes for different persons. Being a passionate

musical connoisseur also influenced my decision to research this topic. Perhaps the most compelling

observation is that young Jamaicans, in general, seem to be glued to music – headphones can be seen

in their ears frequently, or their phones are playing music, artistes and song lyrics are a popular topic of

conversation within teenage social circles. The researcher’s interest was also piqued because young

people are usually very up-to-date with the latest music, yet less frequently they prepare themselves,

by reading beforehand, for their classes. It is with this observational background that the researcher

chooses to examine the influence of music on youth.

To ensure clarity, there are some key terms that are to be understood.

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Firstly, music is “the sounds produced by singers or musical instruments which express ideas and

emotions through the elements of rhythm and harmony”. Influence can be defined as “causing

something without any direct or apparent effort”. Youth can be described as “the time of life between

childhood and maturity; a person within this time”. All definitions are according to the Merriam-

Webster English Dictionary.

The sample to be examined is from lower and upper sixth form students at the Wolmer’s Girls’ and

Boys’ Schools in Kingston. As a result, the age range of the members of the sample is 16 to 19 years of

age.

There has been a rousing debate concerning Dancehall’s influence upon young Jamaicans. Convincing

stances are on both sides of the argument. Firstly, many argue that the music is far too sexually explicit

and violent, and has negative impact on our youth. Some persons, like Dr. Lawrence Bamikole (2005)

say that dancehall music is a mere reflection of the realities of the Jamaican society, and as such, “does

not play a causative link in the negative behaviours of our nation’s youth, or to even prove such would

be difficult.”

This study, done within the context of a high school, is an attempt to compare the habits and attitudes

of youth with the findings and beliefs of what is published in scholarly literature. The purpose of the

research also to find out the true attitudes students have toward music, and what recommendations they

have for the nation’s radio stations and musical producers worldwide. As a result, the research

questions guiding this study are:

1. What are the music listening habits of youth?

2. Why do youth listen to music?

3. What are the effects of music upon youth?

4. What assessment do students make of the music they listen to?

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The educational value of this research is to heighten people’s awareness of the fact that teenagers

spend a lot of time listening to music, and listen to music primarily for rhythm and secondary to that,

lyrics. Finally, parents must be made aware of the fact that students offer no great assessment of their

music, and they should monitor the music their children listen to. For ethical considerations, a

pseudonym is used for the teacher interviewed, permission is sought from the respondents, and

anonymity of the students responding to the questionnaires is guaranteed.

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Literature Review

Introduction

Over the past few years, there has been much research done on the impact of music on youth, simply because

there is growing concern from parents, health care providers and educators. Recent events, within the Jamaican

context, have sparked much debate about the impact of music, more specifically dancehall music. Jamaican

school principal Esther Tyson (2009), in her highly opinioned article “‘Rampin Shop’- Musical poison,”

discloses that the music promotes and even exalts “unbridled sexual expression, violence, the debasement of

women and disrespect for authority”. She describes dancehall music as the “filth that permeates our society”

which directly results in many of the social ills we face today.

Music listening habits of youth

It is imperative that we first identify the habits associated with listening to music. Researches indicate the

amount of time spent listening to music. Singer and Singer (2001) disclose that American 10 th graders spend up

to 5 hours listening to music. In a society like ours, educators like Esther Tyson are concerned about the psyche

of our students, and the future. Educators are concerned because of the many obvious social effects on our

nation’s youth, as stated earlier.

Reasons youth listen to music and its effect

According to music specialists from the University of Leicester there are three major reasons for listening to

music. These reasons include "self-actualization", to "fulfill emotional needs", and to "fulfill social needs".

Dr. Susan Villani (2001), professor of Psychiatry at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, reveals the many

implications of the media (including music) on youth. She concludes that the “primary effects of media

exposure are increased violent and aggressive behavior, increased high-risk behaviors, including alcohol and

tobacco use, and accelerated onset of sexual activity.”

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The article ‘How music affects mental health’ published in the journal ‘Association for Natural Psychology’

supports the point music has an impact, especially on youth. The article posits that “…emotions…are

transmitted through our sense and become our own…The chemicals in one mind, then, influence the chemicals

in another, or in masses of people. Music, then, has tremendous influence on the culture, and the mental and

emotional state, as well as the chemical balance of millions of minds. As a general recommendation by

mellowing out in our taste in music, toning down the intensity and quantity, it can positively affect our mental

health.”

Youth’s assessment of music

Another research conducted by Professor Keith Thompson (1993), states that “most teenagers rated musical

elements, particularly rhythm, as the most important characteristic of a song…teenagers paid much more

attention to a song if they could dance to it.” So students’ assessment of music is solely left to the rhythm rather

than the actual lyrics in the music.

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Data Collection Methods

The design of this research is a case study, and employs both quantitative and qualitative approaches.

In order to obtain the primary data for this research, a questionnaire and an interview were conducted.

The sample size is twenty-one.

Twenty students (10 males and 10 females) were selected randomly, using a table of random numbers,

from the student population of 6th form of the Wolmer’s Girls and Boys High Schools in Kingston. 5

males and 5 females were randomly selected from each grade (lower and upper 6th). These represent

the sample. The instrument included 10 close-ended questions, and 3 that required open responses.

This method was chosen as it needs little time to be completed, and it guarantees confidentiality for the

persons taking part in the study, since their names are not recorded. The questionnaires used in this

research were developed by the researcher.

An informal interview was also conducted with Mrs. Emily Newton (pseudonym), who holds a degree

in Cultural Studies from the University of the West Indies, Mona Campus and is a teacher at a high

school in the Kingston metropolitan area.

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Presentation of Data

In every research it is important to gather data in response to the research questions. Raw data in itself

is meaningless without analysis and interpretation of the data. This section attempts to interpret the

findings of the data.

The problem being investigated is ‘the influence of music on youth.’ More specifically however,

the objectives are to examine the following:

1. The music listening habits of youth

2. Students’ opinions on music

3. Students’ assessment of music

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The Music Listening Habits of Youth

Pie Chart showing the Pie graph showing

amount of time students percentage of students with
listened to music each day or without parental
restrictions on time spent
25%
listening to music Restrictions
No Restrictions
40%
1-2 hours
25%
3-4 hours
More than 5 75%
hours
35%

How often do students listen to music?

7 days per week

6 days per week
5 days per week
4 days per week
3 days per week
2 days per week
1 day per week
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70
Percenatge of students

From the research conducted conclusions about the music listening habits can be drawn. It can be seen

that youth in Kingston have similar habits to those internationally, where, as cited earlier from Singer

and Singer (2001), they spend up to 5 hours with music media. Firstly, we see that three quarters of the

students listen to music for as long as they wish, because there is little to no parental restrictions on the

time they spend listening to music. Interestingly, three-fifths of the respondents listen to music on

every day of the week. It must also be noted that no student listened to music less often than three days

per week. These habits indicate that students choose to listen to music in most of their spare time,

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starting in the afternoons when they get home from school. 75% of the respondents also listen to music

for about 1-4 hours on the days that they listen to music. On the days that students listened to music,

40% said that they did so for 1-2 hours, 35% for 3-4 hours. 25% of the respondents spent more than 5

hours each day doing so.

Students’ Opinions on Music

Bar Graph Showing Students' Expectation of Good Music

Lyrical content 20%

Something to make one dance 50%

Apply to one's life 45%

Promotion of good morals 10%

Vocal quality 50%

Good Beat 70%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%

Students Expectation of Music

From the sample, 60% of the respondents said that they did not assess the music that they

listened to, while 15% of them said they evaluated the music some of the time. Only one quarter of the

respondents claimed an ongoing assessment of the music they listened to. This corresponds then with

the fact that 70% of the participants require the music that they listen to, to have a good beat or rhythm,

and 50% wanted music to make them dance. Very few respondents mentioned promotion of good

morals and lyrical content (10 and 20 per cent respectively). The most common reasons for listening to

music were that music gave relaxation, leisure and that it relieves the stresses of school and home.

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 Graph showing reasons students listen to Music
5%
4% Relaxation

33% Relieve stresses of home/school

18%
Desire a career in music
Because of religion
4% Leisure
7% Helps to focus
Fills a void
29%

Students’ Assessment of Music

Would you change anything
about Dancehall music? Percentage showing students that
do/do not assess music
0.75 Yes
Change the Violent Content
0.05 No
0.2
Change the Sexual content 15% 25%
Sometimes
Change nothing

60%

Next to that, 45% of the students expect music to make them dance. On the other hand, only 15%

of the respondents mentioned anything about the promotion of good morals.

Not surprisingly again, 75% of the participants said that if given the opportunity, they would

change nothing about the music now, whereas the remaining quarter mentioned that they would change

something about the lyrical content. The most common thing mentioned was that they would decrease

the sexual content of the songs and then secondly was that they would change the violent nature of the

music. 55% of the respondents stated that music had no impact on them, while 20% believe that there
Only one quarter of the sample assess the
was impact only some of the time. One respondent said “I realize that the lyrics don’t really make much
music that they listen to, and when they 10
do assess
sense, but the beat catchy and I hear it on the radio and from my
thefriends
music,soitmany
is seen
times
that
that70%
I findofmyself
the time the
students expect the music to have a good beat.
singing it.”
When asked if they thought that music was a distraction from their studies, 35% of respondents said

that it was a distraction, while 30% said it was a distraction some of the time. This corresponds with

what the researcher noted and stated in the introduction of this study – students find music more

appealing than their studies and so they quite often know the lyrics to the latest songs, but are unable to

adequately study and perform well in tests and exams.

Respondents were asked to write a short paragraph outlining why they thought young people were so

drawn to music. Majority of respondents stated that youth “love to have fun” and music helps to

provide this fun. Many stated that music serves as an escape from the “pain of the outside world” and

helps them to cope with the many challenges they face as teenagers. One respondent said that

“Jamaicans love to dance and we need music to dance to”.

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Interview with Cultural Studies Specialist

The following is a report of an interview done with Mrs. Emily Newton (pseudonym) teacher at

a high school in Kingston. She holds a degree in Cultural Studies from the University of the West

Indies, Mona.

It is the view of Mrs. Newton that students’ choice of music is highly influenced by what is

accepted by their peers, and the rest of the teenage population. She says that social acceptance by peers

or the want to ‘fit in’ is one of the major driving forces in music selected by teenagers, rather than their

personal judgment or assessment of the music they listen. This is corroborative with the results of the

questionnaire as it was discovered that 60% of the sample did not assess their music. She also

mentioned that, in addition to this need for acceptance, young people are also very attracted to rhythms

of the music, since they find dancing very entertaining. This concurs with the reasons postulated by

researchers at the University of Leicester (see page 4).

Mrs. Newton, discussing the impact of dancehall music on students, simply stated that the

messages of violence, sexual behaviours, and the fashion are all transferred to the students. She also

articulated that a culture of youth, who do not think for themselves, is rapidly emerging, and this can

have long-lasting effects on the nation’s future.

Mrs. Newton, while responding to the issue of students’ assessment of music, reiterated what

she said earlier. The fact that students are influenced to listen to music by their peers, say that

teenagers do not usually assess their music, since what they do is just as their friends do.

When asked about change in the themes and messages in dancehall music, the teacher indicated

that our music should highlight the issues of social mobility and a sense of responsibility to the

members of our community.

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13
Discussion of Findings

The problem being investigated is, ‘the influence of music’ on youth. Music forms a part of Caribbean

society and culture, as it becomes part of our habits, and eventually our thought processes.

What is interesting is the fact that the habits of the youth investigated coincide with those of the

international studies. One can probably stretch the discussion to the impact of globalization, in the

sense that, habits, music and music practices have transcended the shores of the Caribbean, from other

territories. What then are the cautions as it relates to the habits of these youth? Perhaps, one could

argue that family time is eroded by constant listening to music, and hence the contact time for the

primary socialization has been reduced. One could also say, that the many messages of the music will

be unknowingly transferred to the youth of our nation. Another effect of these hours-long periods spent

listening to music, is that the actual culture of these youth, that is, the traditional music form is being

replaced by not only the popular music of the individuals’ country, but also from the music of foreign

countries.

This research also revealed, and agrees with the reasons for listening to music posited by

University of Leicester music specialists. The research indicates that students listen to music for

relaxation. However, Mrs. Emily Newton (pseudonym) includes another reason that of being accepted

by one’s peers. This concurs with the reasons offered by the University lecturers, that the reasons for

listening include emotional fulfillment and social needs. One of these social needs is seen as social

acceptance.

Another issue of concern is that when youth do assess the music, they are expecting superficial

factors like the beat, or rhythm, or something to make them dance. These details correspond with the

fact that youth believe that music has no impact on them. Contrary to this, very few of our youth are

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expecting clean lyrics. These are issues of concern to Psychiatrists like Dr. Villani, stated earlier. One

can imagine the messages that are transferred to students when they spend up to 4 hours each day

listening to it.

The social implications for these practices include the fact that students unknowingly listen to

music with limited or no knowledge of the fact that music can positively and negatively impact on

them.

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Conclusion, Recommendations and Limitations
Conclusion

Students at the Wolmer’s High Schools in Kingston, Jamaica spend the same amount of time

listening to music as students do internationally. These students listen to music for relaxation,

emotional and social needs. It seems that youth are more concerned with superficial aspects of music

such as the rhythm and beat, rather than with the message the music sends. The students are, by and

large, satisfied with the music that they listen to. All these findings concur with the evidence seen in

other studies.

Recommendations

Parents should restrict the amount of time they allow their children to listen to music. Parents

should also, in the socialization process, teach their children how to select music that will positively

aid in their social development since music can affect youth positively and negatively. My parents

exposed me to quality music at a very young age and as a result I am able to appreciate good music

from all genres and eras. Unfortunately, not all young people had this privilege.

Limitations

A factor affecting the strength of this study is the fact that the sample size was only 21, and for

greater validity, a larger sample size would be needed. Another limitation is that all members of the

sample are from the same social and cultural circles, since they all go to the same school. The results in

this study, therefore, cannot provide an apt representation of the wider society.

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 Bibliography

 Bamikole, L (2005) Philosophy as mirror of socio-cultural realities: A critique of dancehall

culture Paper presented to Conversation 1: Conceptualizing philosophy Cave Hill Philosophy

Symposium, University of the West Indies, Cave Hill, March 2005

 North, A & Tarrant, M (2000) English Psychology of Music, Vol. 28, No. 2

 Singer, Dorothy G., Singer Jerome L. Handbook of Children and the Media Sage Publications

Inc. London, 2001

 Tyson, E. (2009, February 1) Rampin Shop-Musical Poison The Sunday Gleaner, p. D5

 Villani, S (2001) Impact of Media on Children and Adolescents: A 10-Year Review of the

Research The Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry

 "What teens listen to - and why - popular music". USA Today (Society for the Advancement of

Education). FindArticles.com. 20 Jun, 2010. Retreived from

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1272/is_n2575_v121/ai_13695060/

 Wolfenden, S. (2008) How Music Affects Mental Health. Association for Natural Psychology.

Retrieved from http://www.winmentalhealth.com/music_psychology.php

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Please answer the following questions honestly. Unless otherwise stated, indicate your choice by circling the
response which corresponds with your choice.

1. How many hours do you spend listening to music each day?

1-2 hours 3-4 hours 5 or more hours

2. Do your parents restrict your listening of music?

Yes No

3. For how many days of the week do you listen to music? Write a number between 0 and 7 on the line
provided.
_____________

4. Which characteristics should good music have? You may check as many options as you wish.

Lyrical content Something to make me dance I can relate to the song

The music promotes good morals The artiste’s vocal quality

The music has a god beat

5. Do you ever assess the music that you listen to?

Yes No Sometimes

6. Why do you listen to music? Circle one response.

Relaxation Stress relief I desire a career in music Religious

reasons Leisure It helps me to focus It fills a void

7. Would you change anything about dancehall music?

No Yes, I would change the sexual content in the lyrics

Yes, I would change the violent content of the lyrics

8. Do you think dancehall music impacts your life?

Yes No Sometimes

9. Does music ever distract you from your studies?

Yes No Sometimes

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10. Write a short overview of why you think young people are so drawn to music.

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