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Carlos A. Robles Rosa

Prof. Petra Avillan

INGL 3103-111

November 1, 2021

Violent Music Lyrics Increase Aggressive Thoughts and Feelings

Violence is an element that can be presented in many ways, music for example, is one of

them. It is clear that music forms an essential part of our lives and often affects our feelings and

emotions. Also, it is one of the ways in which violence can be represented. We listen to music

when we feel happy, sad or even when we feel angry. It is important to recognize that the lyrics

of a song can greatly affect our emotions. There are studies that prove that when a lyric is

violent, it can affect people's emotions. Many times, people become very aggressive when they

listen to this kind of music and that's what we'll see next.

First, we have to be clear that violence is “the use of physical force to harm someone, to

damage property, etc. (Merriam Webster) It is also an extreme or powerful emotion and a

Physical or emotional force that causes harm. Music, on the other hand is the art of sound in time

that expresses ideas and emotions. (Merriam Webster) It is also the tones or sounds Songs with

violent lyrics increase aggression related thoughts and emotions and this effect is directly related

to the violence in the lyrics, according to a new study published by the American Psychological

Association.

In a series of five experiments involving over 500 college students, researchers from Iowa

State University and the Texas Department of Human Services examined the effects of seven
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violent songs. Results of the five experiments show that violent songs led to more aggressive

interpretations of ambiguously aggressive words. The violent songs increased feelings of

hostility without provocation or threat, according to the authors. this effect was not the result of

differences in musical style, specific performing artist or arousal properties of the songs. Even

the humorous violent songs increased aggressive thoughts.

We have to know how this effects our society. “The violent-song increases in aggressive

thoughts and feelings have implications for real world violence.” (Anderson, par. 5) "Aggressive

thoughts can influence perceptions of ongoing social interactions, coloring them with an

aggressive tint. Such aggression-biased interpretations can, in turn, instigate a more aggressive

response -verbal or physical - than would have been emitted in a non-biased state, thus

provoking an aggressive escalatory spiral of antisocial exchanges” (Anderson, par. 5) This study

reveals that every content matters, it is important that parents of children and adolescents watch

and know what there children listen because it can effect their feelings and emotions in a

negative way. Sometimes we are colonized by this songs and we don’t realize it. “As if to

illustrate the totalitarian nature of colonial exploitation, the colonist turns the colonized into a

kind of quintessence evil.” (Fanon 6)

We have seen how its proven that violent lyric in a song can negatively affect a person’s

emotions. It's important to be careful about what we hear. Many times without realizing we hear

some violent song and become aggressive like the students who were tested in different

experiments. Professor Craig A. Anderson said something very important and it is that parents

have to be aware of what their children hear. This is a serious problem and must be monitored

because violence cannot be part of our lives and society.

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Work Cited

Anderson, Craig A., et al. “Exposure to Violent Media: The Effects of Songs With Violent

Lyrics on Aggressive Thoughts and Feelings.” Journal of Personality and Social

Psychology, vol. 84, no. 5, 2003, pp. 960–68. American Psychological Association,

doi:10.1037/0022-3514.84.5.960.

Fanon, Frantz. “On Violence.” The Wretched of the Earth, Canada, Damnes de la terre, 2004,

pp. 1–62.

Steil, Ava. “The Eagle Eye.” Violent Song Lyrics Have Negative Effect on Youth, 14 Sept. 2018,

eagleeye.news/7393/artsandleisure/how-do-violent-song-lyrics-affect-people.

“Violence.” Meriam Webster, www.merriam-

webster.com/dictionary/violence#:~:text=2%20%3A%20great%20destructive%20force%20or

%20energy%20The,%3A%20an%20instance%20of%20violent%20treatment%20or

%20procedure. Accessed 25 Nov. 2021.