Should the Government ban sexual and violent songs

from playing on the radio and television?

Songs such as Soca, Reggae and Dancehall, have collectively played an integral role in the
cultural development of the Caribbean. These forms of musical expression have now inundated
our daily lives, showing a teeming presence in the media, television and on the radio. Indeed,
they do depict graphic content; however, I believe that these graphic songs should not be banned
by the Government because: children do not emulate what is seen in these songs, the
Government cannot censor everything and these songs are not the Government's problem, rather,
society's.

It is a common misconception that children tend to mirror actions depicted in media,

unfortunately, this ideology is outdated and incorrect. A recent study done by Georg Stone, a
leading Behavioral Scientist at Harvard University, suggests the children act based on the way
they were raised, not due to external influences. These songs do not contribute to increased
violence and sexual tendencies; rather, the source is based in parental habits.

Secondly, the Government is not all powerful, they cannot prevent all negatively influential
songs from airing. If the Government attempts to censor these songs, they must censor all media
to which children are exposed to, including social media like: Facebook, Instagram and Snap
Chat. Furthermore, all forms of media act as transport systems for these songs, and simply the
Government will be incapable of controlling this outbreak simply by censoring the television and
radio.

Finally, this is not the Government problem, rather, society's flaw. If we do not want our
children to imitate these actions, we should teach them to do so. We cannot stop exposure, but
society should teach a child right from wrong. The parents are to blame for a child's actions.

In conclusion, we cannot stop children from exposure to these songs, however, it is up to the
parents to influence the child. Due to the factors stated above, it is of my strong belief that the
Government should not ban graphic songs from the television and radio.