Over time, music has changed and evolved drastically, having over hundreds of music genres. There are different styles of songs and music for everyone. Music has always been known to be a healing tool for anyone struggling with mental health; to some, music is a temporary escape from their struggles.
Songs and Their Influences
Music has been an influence on many throughout generations, but have you ever thought about whether the song you are listening to is affecting you positively or negatively?
Many songs, especially the newer generation ones, seem to have the same theme going on, whether the song is talking about having an excessive amount of money, drugs, or luxurious items. What you may not realize is that when you listen to songs that have a repetitive theme, you begin to indulge in the song and, for some, take the lyrics literal.
Many young teens and kids are being influenced by such songs and do not seem to realize that music is just a way the artist views their interests or showcases themselves as a person. Nonetheless, people may get influenced and start to believe that this is how the artists live their lives and normalize the usage of drugs/alcohol or even living a life that is not for them.
Even though not all music genres talk about these things, there are songs written and sang by young teens that have a heavy influence on the younger generation. For example, let us look into a song about heartbreak or an unrealistic relationship. When young teens listen, they begin to picture an unrealistic lifestyle and get upset when their goals are not met. This can create a toxic habit and can cause development of depression and envy.
Pros of Music
Music can reduce stress levels – Listening to music can help cope with stress. Listening to your favorite song can increase dopamine.
Improves cognitive performance – Research shows that music has been able to help with cognitive performance and improving memory. There are many techniques that show how making a song out of your studies or reminder notes can help you remember. Memorizing song lyrics impacts your memory as well and can help with those struggling with ADHD.
Music can improve motivation – Ever heard a song and just got a boost of energy? Well, listening to music can give you a boost of motivation and allow you to work, be it working out at the gym or doing your daily routine.
Cons of Music
Songs can have a negative influence – Some songs can negatively influence a person. As previously discussed, recurring themes in songs may promote the idea of living a certain way. It may put people in a state of rush to try as much as they can to live that way. In reality, people may not realize how much damage this can cause.
Violence in songs – Genres like rap music have a huge impact on the youth. With social media rapidly growing, artists have a huge platform to share their music with the entire world. In addition, such artists constantly have lyrical content that is often combined with violence, addiction, and chasing money, which has created a generation of normalizing violence, pill addiction, and other dangerous acts.
Unrealistic expectations – Many people listen to a song that has lyrics talking about healthy relationships or talking about unrealistic expectations. When you go about your day, you may not realize that you are applying these unrealistic expectations to yourself subconsciously. Love and many emotions have been written and talked about in songs for so many years, but such songs can push unrealistic values, which can conclude you into feeling as though you are not worthy enough to have such expectations.