Music Censorship On Children

Music became an essential part of our lives, actually, it is everywhere. Year by year new kinds of music and songs appear and some of them become a breeding ground for argumentative debates. One of the main questions on these debates is about necessity of censorship in music. Thinking about this topic people can argue infinitely. Hence, to find a common point, censorship in music should be balanced. Music censorship is unacceptable for adults, but sorely necessary for protecting children because adults have a right and ability to choose based on their truth, but for children this choice can be harmful.
Initially, music censorship in unacceptable for the people in the age of 18 and above because in these age people have their own truth, partly
based on music they listen, to what they believe. Censorship only limits their ability to choose and see the truth. Art, or precisely music, is a good way to tell people what is going on around, wake them up from a long sleep, and show the truth. As Picasso said, “All art is a lie that helps us to see truth better”. Censorship takes people’s chance to see and choose the truth away. Even if an art piece or a song contains something abusive or violent, destroys old stereotypes or calls people for doing something, any censor have a right to deprive our truth from us. On the other hand, James Fieser mentioned that throughout the history all new kind of information and data needed a time to strengthen its positions in society. Censorship doesn’t give a chance neither to song to find own audience, nor to people to choose our truth. In 1991 the Simon Wiesenthal Center tried to prevent Ice Cubes’ new album, the main idea of which was “white Jews” should be shot, to be sold. The similar situation repeated to Heavy Metal with the sense of Satanism. There are millions of people, who back up their idols’ opinions and nobody can guarantee that this number will not increase. In these ages people find themselves in music and art, but censorship invade their abilities. Actually, artists’ job is to create a song, doesn’t matter what it contains in context, share it with people, and let them to decide where the truth is and where is the lie. But, unfortunately, the coin has two sides.
For children censorship is necessary because improper contexts of songs can deeply damage children’s naïve and childish psychology.
It is known that children are like a white paper, where parents and surrounding is going to write their scenario and decorate it. Once there is written something wrong, doesn’t matter how much we try to erase our mistake, its’ print will stay there forever. Parents are the first guides in children’s lives, but they are not able to isolate and protect babies from all danger and violence. In this job censorship become one of the parents’ helpers. Removing violent, vulgar and abusive contexts from the music is an excellent method to prevent children from timeless maturation. An average kid could hear too much improper data from TV and radio if censors don’t do their jobs. Children’s minds shouldn’t be full with the meaningless for them information because they are children and they will have a time to face all the reality of life. What we give to children the same we will receive. Plato’s statement that tells if our songs stories will be full of positive qualities, the generation that grow with them will be also positively modified, in the contrast morally damaged people will surround us in the future, one more time proves this idea. Because children have a very effectible psychology, they may understand songs directly. Maybe it has a hidden meaning, but a child that walks in the street and sings a song full of profanity and violations cannot see this meaning. Now he may use this context not deliberately, but after a while or in the future being adult he might start to use them purposely. In order to not face with such a situation parents have a right to support music
censorship.
In conclusion, music censorship has two sides: while for adults it is necessary, for children it’s dangerous because people above 18 have a desire for truth, but children are affected by every tiny evil information. To find a balance for both, adults and children, censors must work hard and find a compromise for both age groups. Singers and writers of lyrics also must be involved to this work and take act by thinking about everyone.

Works Cited
Fieser, James. “Censorship.” The University of Tennessee, 15 Jan. 2012. Web. 12 April 2012.
Lombardi, Victor. “Music and Censorship.” New York University, Dec. 1991. Web. 10 June 2010.