I love music. Listening to it, making it, being around it… I always have the radio on or a music app open in the background of whatever I’m doing. I’m literally listening to it stream while writing this article! Motivational tracks in the morning to get my mind right for the rest of the day, upbeat artists on my way to work, and most recently CLEAN background music for some of the classes I teach at my summer camp job. As it turns out, finding age appropriate music for young kids is really difficult. Unfortunately the lines that should separate mature music and kids’ music have become severely blurred, and I’m worried.

In the recent weeks I’ve used music in my classes as the extra element of fun. Kids will ask me to play the radio before they even ask what we’re doing for the day. They sing and dance along to it, and I love seeing them happy. However, it really narrowed my focus on the language and topics in today’s #1 radio hits. As one song ends, I now frantically search for another appropriate one that isn’t marked by the “E” for explicit language. Now, I’m 19, and obviously my ability to hear and process material exceeds that of a seven-year-old. That being said, I did not expect them to recognize and request most of my Apple music library. At first, I thought it was isolated, like maybe the child has an older sibling who lets them listen to Kanye West, or Hot 97 in the car. But then, slowly but surely, I began to realize that it wasn’t isolated at all, in fact, it was a widespread epidemic! Kids asking for songs that they have no business listening to and then being sad when I can’t play them! Really, how dare I argue with the radio!

Why is it so tough to find a decent up to date playlist of songs for children? I feel uncomfortable when they sing along to the lyrics of sexually suggestive songs, or when they pause when the known “bad word” is said in a verse. Yes, the nine year old who knows all the words to that rap song is adorable at first, but then the realization of what they’re saying and memorizing sinks in. They’re subconsciously absorbing these messages about drugs, alcohol, sex, objectification of women, disregard for authority and school, and countless other “lessons” that can be found in the lyrics of any top five songs playing on the radio.

I’m not a parent, and I’m really not blaming this on anyone other than our society collectively for allowing this to become the norm. I know artists can’t all be worried about marketing their music to seven and eight year old kids in a Catholic summer camp, but they should at least be aware of it. I applaud the many artists who have found success in great music without the risqué topics and F bombs that are now the standard. Thank you.

At the end of the day, I know these kids probably have no idea what they’re singing along to, and it’s harmless. But, I do believe that it will have long term effects that will be out of our control. Young gets younger every year, and kids are growing up at a ridiculously rapid pace. (That will be another article!) There are perfectly efficient ways to get messages across in songs that don’t involve blurring out every other word, or me going nuts trying to lower the volume every ten seconds in anticipation of the upcoming verse about prescription drugs. Somehow the older generations have managed to build empires in music that I am happy to play for anyone. That fact alone is why the music of the 60s-90s will be immortalized in our culture. The hits these days…. Not so much.

I’m writing this with hopes that the next time you have the radio on, regardless of where you are, or what you’re doing, if you have a child with you please be conscious of what is playing. Kids are sponges, and they absorb everything - the good, the bad, and the newest Jay-Z single.