Updated – Originally published June 26, 2023
Music is a powerful force. Throughout history, it has been used to express emotions, tell stories, teach truth, foster social and familial bonds, and spark creativity.
It’s not surprising that music seems hardwired into our DNA. We witness how young people turn to music to express themselves, show what they are experiencing, and affirm their identity.
Listening to music is the most popular media activity for kids under 18, with three out of every four young people saying they enjoy listening to it “a lot.”. And kids are streaming music now more than ever, with around 37% of audio listening time among teens and young adults spent using streaming services.
Teens spend an average of 2.5 hours a day listening to music. Add that up, and that is 38 straight days a year with their tunes. In comparison, they spend 52 days a year studying in school, 6 days a year eating, and 3 days a year playing outside.
But parents are wise to be careful about what type of music their kids are exposed to. Explicit content normalizes unhealthy attitudes and behavior.
Gabb Music is celebrating three years of providing the world’s largest and safest music streaming platform for kids.
Gabb Music is the most secure music app we reviewed and for that reason may be the best music app for kids.
Defend Young Minds
“Beautiful Things,” by Benson Boone is the top song among Gabb listeners, with “Ain’t No Love in Oklahoma,” by Luke Combs in second place, and “Thick of It,” KSI feat. Trippie Redd at third.
Learn more below about the importance of clean music for kids:
Music is becoming more explicit. For 23 of the last 24 years, songs with explicit lyrics have topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
Top 100 songs on the most popular music streaming service are almost twice as likely to be explicit today as in the past. Between 2005 and 2014, 29% of songs were explicit. Between 2015 and 2025, 53% of songs were explicit.
Additionally, 35% of the top-streamed songs on the most popular music streaming service are labeled explicit, with 39% and 27% labeled explicit on the second and third most popular services, respectively.
Explicit content isn’t always blocked by parental controls, and treaming service filters give parents a false sense of security as many kids can easily bypass them. Many filters do not protect kids from sexual innuendos while exposing them to explicit content like uncensored videos, inappropriate album covers, and sexual and violent innuendos.
Negative music can have harmful effects. Kids are hurt by violent, misogynistic, man-hating lyrics. These lyrics increase anger, violence, and sexual aggression; antisocial behaviors; and sexist beliefs and actions. They decrease empathy, positive emotions, and prosocial behaviors.
Positive music, on the other hand, has many positive effects. Every genre has good tunes — music that benefits our body, heart, and mind. Positive music can enhance memory, improve sleep, energize and motivate the listener, lower anxiety, regulate and elevate mood, and decrease stress.
Positive music can also help increase social connection and strengthen relationships, as well as positively impact identity formation.
Out With the Bad — In With the Good!
Finding music services that provide quality music for kids can be difficult. Many of the most popular music streaming platforms do not offer robust parental controls.
Gabb Music is an excellent alternative for parents. This kids’ music streaming service provides safe, popular music to kids without the need for parental controls. Get the music without the hassle of monitoring your kids’ listening!
How do you guide your child’s music choices? Share your thoughts and tips in the comments!
Author Morgan Dye
Morgan is a Gabb staff writer. She joined Gabb because she is dedicated to keeping children safe online. She loves watercolor and is an accomplished actress who can be found acting in her local theater productions.
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