Editor:

You know, I am pretty open minded and, as a libertarian, very pro-First Amendment. Today, however, after going through my playlist on my YouTube account that is linked to my phone, I noticed what my daughter was listening to. Now, I am not going to listen to it because, personally, anything that says twerk music or rap just isn’t in my genre. 

But after reading the lyrics, it kind of made me think, “No wonder girls today have such a hard time, and no wonder boys view girls as nothing more than meat.” So, the question that begins to form in my mind is whether the lyrics to the music that our children listen to create self-image problems. 

Now, I am not saying that I listen to church hymns while driving from place to place, but I know that nothing I listen to degrades women. As a matter of fact, three of the bands that I load into the car for long trips are female singers for a reason.

Do we, as parents, pay enough attention to the music our children listen to? I don’t think we do. I think it is even more of a shame that teachers today allow our high schoolers to listen to music on their phones while in school.

Please, one of you teachers, take away a phone and hook it up to your speakers. Then ask yourself (and the child) if it is appropriate for school and ask what the song is about. Argue with them if they are wrong on a moral standpoint. Teachers used to call us out in class all the time for what we were doing or listening to, and having a phone out was an instant detention.

I know sex sells, but seriously, what our children are listening to would drive most of us mad if we actually knew the lyrics and truly thought about what our kids are thinking when they listen to it. Put yourself back in the body of your 12- to 17-year-old and think of what you listened to compared to their 10 favorite songs. Most of you would find it hard-pressed not to ground your children.

They say that culture changes due to music, movies and books. Well, I see far too many children on phones, fewer watching movies with their parents and more would be embarrassed if their music is played in front of their family.

Women don’t have low self-worth because of pay; they have it because for at least one generation we have allowed an influence to be completely negative. When women are taught to look at themselves as nothing more than a “twerking ho,” what does that teach our boys? How do they look at them?

We sit and complain about society and how horrible it has gotten, but have we allowed it into our own homes? So, I am asking you to go through and listen to your children’s music before allowing them to listen to just anything.

Patrick Ballinger

Evanston