We thought we were well and truly past blaming the problems of todays youth on the type of music they listen to. Remember the hysteria surrounding Marilyn Manson and the supposed indoctrination he was performing upon impressionable youth? Some even went as far as the link him to the pyschopaths that committed the Columbine High School shootings. But that was then and this is now, we’ve moved on now right?
Wrong. You forgot about university experts. You’ve got to love them. You can find an expert to just about prove anything you set out to find these days. And whilst we take most of what they say with a grain of salt we thought you might find the latest study to come out interesting.
Dr Katrina McFerran, a senior lecturer at University Of Melbourne, has just completed a study on the link between mental illness, suicide, and music. She spent five years studying kids’ listening patterns which involved in-depth interviews with 50 teenagers and a survey of 1000 others. Not a huge sample but a sample nonetheless.
So what did she find? In her own words “The MP3 revolution means that young people are accessing music more than ever before, and it’s not uncommon for some to listen to music for seven or eight hours a day. Most listen to a range of music in positive ways: to block out crowds, to lift their mood or to give them energy when exercising.”
She continues “But young people at risk of depression are more likely to be listening to music, particularly heavy metal music, in a negative way. Examples of this are when someone listens to the same song or album of heavy metal music over and over again, and doesn’t listen to anything else. They do this to isolate themselves or escape from reality.”
“If this behaviour continues over a period of time it might indicate that this young person is suffering from depression or anxiety, and at worst, might suggest suicidal tendencies.” We’d have to agree if you find your child listening to things such as the new Metallica and Lou Reed record on repeat, a sure sign they have something wrong with them (maybe check their hearing). But surely the only people escaping from reality are those that listen to the same pop crap over and over again that continues to push a stereotype they’ll never live up to.
We’d argue that for most kids listening to heavy metal music isn’t about depression but about healthy anger. The whole grunge movement was founded on the anger of disenfranchised youth around America. Punk was formed from the forgotten youth of the 70s. Kids are angry about a range of things, and whilst some have more serious issues that need to be addressed, most get comfort from a genre of music filled with people just like them.
McFerran urges parents to get involved in their childrens listening habits saying “They should ask their children questions like, ‘How does that music make you feel?’ If children say the music reflects or mirrors the way they feel, then ask more about what the music is saying. If listening doesn’t make them feel good about themselves, this should ring alarm bells.”
We find heavy metal music empowering rather than negative, and while we can’t speak for everyone we’re think maybe some experts should take a look at why the kids of today need to find that empowerment, and why they often find it in the alternative world, not the pop world.
We’re pretty sure a little headbanging never hurt anyone.
