Teens & Music
It’s the 21st century; music has a big impact on teens. From Hannah Montana in 2006 to Chance the Rapper (one of my personal favorites) today, kids have always had a love for music. There’s lots of different genres of music out there, yet they all relate — each genre, each song, speaks to a different person in a different way. There are kids in this generation that have a hard time expressing how they feel, and that’s when the music comes in. A lot of the music produced today are written about the artist’s personal experiences, which I think plays a big part in why kids today relate so well to music. Most of the time, you’ll be able to tell how someone is feeling just based on the songs and type of music they are listening to, as well as understand someone on another level because the music can explain part of who they are as a person better than they can themselves.
First of all, music is part of a person’s personality; it helps them find their identity. For example, in the article, “Why Teens Need Their Music, Part I: 4 Secrets for Parents Backed By Research” published on The Huffington Post on February 2, 2016, it is mentioned that “In many ways music defines teens, it is a type of language for them and music choices often determine which peers they hang out with”. Because of the effect that music has on teens by determining who they hang out with, it helps the adolescent find out who they are and their place in the world. The reason behind this is due to the fact that who you surround yourself with has a big impact on who you are to become in the future. In that same article, the author, Rebecca Laclair, said that teens are “exploring identity”. There’s a huge variety of music within the community, and kids tend to listen to most of them. This carries on to the kid experiencing and developing new, different music tastes, ultimately effecting who they choose to be as an adult.
To add on, music is also used as an outlet for teens. Nowadays, teens go through a lot of personal issues, and to release their grievances, they use music. For instance, in the article “Teens and Music” posted on teenzeen.org, it is said that “…in some cases, listening to violent music can be an outlet that allows teens to release their anger and frustration without getting into trouble”. Some children have trouble dealing with their anger, and if they did not t have music as an escape, they may be getting themselves into situations in which they can either harm themselves or harm others. Not only is music used to as an escape by listening to it, but as well as writing it. Within the same article, the author, Carolee Walker, mentions that “It’s important for young people to know that their stories matter”. There are a lot of people who are not as outspoken as others, so it’s harder for them to let others know what they are feeling; this is when music comes into play. When the teen is filled with such emotions, they sometimes feel as if they have no one to talk to, or just cannot talk to anyone, so by having the ability to write their feelings into lyrics, it gives them a place to escape from reality for a little bit.
Furthermore, music can help change one’s mood. To illustrate, as I was reading an article titled “How Music Can Influence (and Change) Your Mood Positively and Negatively” published on collective-evolution.com by Jennifer Sodini on August 16, 2016, it was brought up that “In just two weeks of listening to more positive music, people can successfully improve their moods/emotions and boost overall happiness”. I know from personal experience that if I am in a down mood, listening to upbeat, happy music just about always uplifts how I feel. The fun, exciting, cheerful lyrics tend to help you forget about your problems for a little while and lets you into a place of nothing but good vibes.
Lastly, music can influence teens and their actions. Although I have mentioned that kids who listen to violent music can be impact people to get their anger out without actually causing any harm, there is still a possibility that the opposite will happen. Like mentioned before, music can change a person’s mood drastically positively and negatively. As an example, if someone is in a bad mood and is listening to aggressive music on top of their angry mood, the lyrics and music they are listening to can cause them to lash out. The music can sometimes do nothing but raise their adrenaline and sway them towards more anger, which can result in a negative outcome and cynical outburst. Additionally, if someone is continuously listening to the same artist that creates aggressive, loud music, that person can be guided to act a certain way. The listener can, over time, get used to the hostility that that certain type of music gives off, ultimately creating them into a truculent person, possibly a person they were not before.
To wrap it all up, music can strongly influence a person’s lifestyle, and can lead them in the direction of the person they are going to become in the future. Whether it is in a positive or negative way, music speaks to different people in different types of ways. Not only that, but music can be an outlet for those who are going through tough times, and can help others who are dealing something that they believe no one else can understand. In the long run, a lot of people all around the world depend on music for many, many reasons. Music is a tool you can use to meet new people, get your feelings out, understand others, get yourself known, escape reality, and in the fullness of time, find out where part of your identity comes from and figure out who you are, not only for yourself, but for others as well.
