Jeffrey Jensen Arnett

Jeffrey Jensen Arnett's research focuses on popular music and adolescence, as his two recent books attest: Metalheads: Heavy Metal Music and Adolescent Alienation (1996) and Adolescence and Emerging Adulthood: A Cultural Approach (2001). In this essay, he combines his interests to examine how sexuality is portrayed in songs and music videos favored by teens. Many studies have shown that teenagers spend more time listening to music than they do watching television. However, in comparison, little research has been done to learn more about the relationship between music and attitudes toward sex. Arnett acknowledges that teens enjoy music for entertainment, yet their listening habits also influence identity formation and coping strategies, especially in relation to gender issues and sexuality. Like others in this collection, he emphasizes the need for research about what teens themselves...