In today’s society, cheating within relationships seems to be more relevant than in past generations. Or maybe it was always prominent, but the society didn’t “encourage” it. Ever since I can remember songs on the radio would vary from happy to sad to cheating. Songs including “It Wasn’t Me” by Shaggy, “Loyal” by Chris Brown, and even “Follow Me” by Uncle Kracker have all encourage the idea of cheating on a loved one. 
So is this the reason that people think it is okay to cheat and lie? It is quite possible that these singers/rapper glorify the act of cheating and making it seem like it is not big deal. These songs only explain the side of the unfaithful one. Never do these songs show the side of the victim. When people listen to these songs they might think that they will never get caught and also that it is a common thing to do. Hearing that other people take part in unfaithful acts causes deindividuation, the idea that you cannot get in trouble if everyone else is doing the same thing. 
In recent news, Beyonce has released a new album Lemonade which has some cheating undertones. Throughout the album, Beyonce hints that her husband Jay-Z has been cheating on her. People have been saying things like “If Jay-Z can cheat on Beyonce no one is safe”. When people see that someone as famous as Jay-Z can cheat and somewhat get away with it, they might be inclined to join him on the unfaithful train. So what is it about this generation and cheating? Is it the music? Is it the way we’re raised? Or is it just easier to find out these days with social media? What do you think?
anth102spring2016 
I agree that cheating has seemingly become more prominent and acceptable and it really is disappointing. I think that it has a lot to do with media and how we are raised. Not only music, but many movies and TV shows also display people cheating on their significant others with no real consequences. I think it is also partially due to the fact that we always want the newest thing. If what we have is not good enough or we get bored of it, we go for something else. Some people just skip the step of breaking up with the first person. I will personally never understand how so many people lack a conscience and can just cheat on someone. Obviously they have never been in the other position.
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I think the materialistic nature of western society is a large contributor to this “cheating epidemic” that seems to have taken over the younger generations and of pop culture. As a society, we value material goods so much so that some times when choosing a partner we tend to focus on their “material” appeal rather than aspects of their personality or moral values. From this, we create unstable relationships that are prone to cheating. We want the “newest” item available so we leave our partners to obtain it. Western culture, specifically younger generations, are characterized by fast paced, multitasking, and easily bored. All of these aspects have contributed to the “hook up” culture that has developed among younger generations. When we actually are in relationships, we tend to continue that “hook up” mentality contributing to actions of cheating.
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It is really interesting to see the affects that music and the media can have on society. I agree that many songs that talk about cheating seem to glorify it, and imply that it is acceptable. Personally, Shaggy’s song, “It Wasn’t Me” is an all time favorite. Although there are many ways in our culture in which the seriousness of cheating is understated, I still believe that the overall opinion on the matter is that it is wrong. However, because it does seem to be so prevalent in today’s society, I think that it may reveal a loosening of morals in today’s culture. The reasoning for this loosening of morals is unclear to me, but could potentially stem from the lack of religion in many peoples lives today, or simply because acting like a rebel is often considered cool. Regardless of what causes people to behave in this manner, cheating is an issue, and the medias take on it is problematic.
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