I Hate Everything About You – Three Days Grace.
Love The Way You Lie – Eminem.
I Miss The Misery – Halestorm.
These are songs I’ve listened to on repeat and sung along to (if it can even be called singing). However, they revolve around a common theme – toxic relationships. There’s also Take Me to Church by Hozier, but my disdain towards that song deserves a post of its own.
These songs are on mainstream radio (okay, maybe not Halestorm) for individuals of all ages to hear. As humans, we are subject to our behaviour being affected by those around us to a certain extent, whether we’re aware of it or how mentally resilient we think we are. Call it whatever you want – priming, peer pressure, social learning, etc. – it doesn’t change the fact that this phenomenon exists.
We know that, generally, youths and children are exceptionally impressionable. Today, they often rely on the media to learn about the world around them, where they may find songs that “normalise” abusive relationships, perhaps even encourage such relationships because they’re so full of passion, and promote the idea that staying in abusive relationships is a testament of love. They may find themselves in toxic relationships, and they don’t know the magnitude of the consequences or what to do next.
I’m not suggesting that these songs are removed from mainstream media. Rather, there should be more material raising awareness about the damage that abusive relationships have. Sure, these songs talk about how horrible it feels, but they do not do justice to the damage that an abusive relationship will cause. It will take its toll on both the parties’ entire lives, such as their careers, social interaction, and even mental and physical health.
I shall end this post abruptly here, because I want to get back to my chocolate bar (thanks, sister!) and go to bed.
dinoclaire 