While the phenomenon of “trash” or junk music is not any emerging issue, its recent dissemination speed within the digital sphere is demonstrably alarming. Trash music denotes musical products distinguished by their simple content, coarse vernacular, and the evocation of repugnant imagery, often endorsing social problems, hedonistic lifestyles, and fostering destructive trends.
The primary source of junk music is social media, notably TikTok. Replete with offensive and provocative language, many of these songs promote societal ills such as usury and prostitution, yet paradoxically garner millions of views and are frequently employed as background audio for TikTok videos.
Notably, a recent composition, replete with explicit and crude sexual descriptions, amassed over 10 million views. Significantly, the authors of this work are established rap artists, one of whom has a history of producing trash music and has been subject to administrative sanctions.
Capitalizing on curiosity and FOMO (fear of missing out) anxieties of youth, numerous junk songs achieve viral status. This is evidenced by the subsequent rendition or utilization of these songs by young individuals, including key opinion leaders (KOLs) and online personalities, in dance clips and video content on TikTok. Such actions inadvertently amplify the appeal of trash music, enabling creators to accrue revenue without substantial investment in content or artistic merit.
Sociologist Nguyen Thieu Tuan Long posits that junk music exploits a significant gap in the contemporary youth experience, namely the fear of social isolation and marginalization. In this context, trash music serves as a conduit for social network expansion, particularly within the hyper-connected social media landscape.
“Youths engage with trash music due to peer emulation. The lexicon employed within these songs facilitates inter-personal communication. The consumption of trash music becomes normalized, while refraining from such content can lead to social exclusion and perceived incompatibility within youth circles”
Sociologist Nguyen Thieu Tuan Long.
The ascendance of a junk song to trend status transcends the mere realm of entertainment, permeating lifestyles, communication patterns, and influencing the ideological frameworks adopted by young individuals. More alarmingly, offensive, pedagogically deficient lyrics and abnormal messages gradually permeate the subconscious, fostering unconscious acceptance and normalization. This phenomenon erodes societal aesthetic and cultural standards, posing a formidable challenge to cultural governance within the digital domain.
Sociologist Nguyen Thieu Tuan Long voices that the complete elimination of trash music is practically infeasible. Such an endeavor would necessitate three prerequisites, consisting of the abolition of social media, the decrease of societal expectations upon individuals, and the elevation of arts education and wholesome musical orientation.
While the first is untenable and the second requires protracted societal attitudinal shifts, the third is immediately actionable. However, this responsibility extends beyond youth, necessitating the concerted efforts of the educational establishment and public discourse.
Agreeing with that, Standing Member Bui Hoai Son of the National Assembly’s Committee on Culture and Education acknowledges the formidable challenge of regulating trash music within the digital sphere, necessitating synergistic collaboration among regulatory agencies, technology platforms, and the user community.
"Beyond mere content removal and punishment measures, it is imperative to implement policies that foster the development of wholesome musical content, disseminating authentic artistic values to the public, thereby cultivating a civilized and progressive digital cultural environment," emphasized Bui Hoai Son.
Junk music constitutes a toxic phenomenon, adversely impacting the cognitive, behavioral, and philosophical frameworks of young individuals. This poses a multi-faceted challenge for cultural administrators and a shared responsibility for society as a whole in fostering a healthy artistic appreciation environment, guiding individuals towards authentic aesthetic values.
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