I'm always talking about how soothing and medicinal music is on air. It serves a purpose in our lives. It's molded a lot of us, myself included. I have been giving Gen Z lots of credit for slowing down a bit to appreciate music in all of it's forms. This generation is going backwards in time. I call them the retro generation. They are collecting vinyl and opting for headphones instead of earbuds. They are an interesting generation who are a new type of future adult. An up and coming high school journalist breaks it down in a manner most adults still don't think about.
Jr Writer, Brooklyn Slie - Lamar High School
Music can affect people’s emotions and mental health in numerous ways. Whether you’re sad or happy, music can be the escape for anyone at any time. Specifically, teenagers face the most effects and change from music because of the constant shift of emotions or hormones. Music provokes imagery and emotion, and numerous teens use this for their personal wellbeing.
82% of teens listen to music daily. Teenagers these days live and breathe music, it’s an uproar of engagement in the music industry.
Music has always been a special gift that we were given. It speaks in every way, shape, or form and represents itself in numerous genres. Artists use their gift to send messages to their listeners. Music speaks; it tells a story. These stories could describe feelings on war, love, peace, racism, etc. There is no limit to the stories and messages that we hear through music and its lyrics.
Music and emotions correlate strongly. It can make you sad or happy, angry or forgiving. Music can shape the way you feel. I was driving in my car the other day in an indifferent mood and as I was blasting Last Nite by The Strokes at max volume, all my spirits were lifted. Music can boost your mood whether you want it to or not, and that fact right there truly represents the power of music.
When you really listen to music, that’s when you feel the melodies and beats together and how they create the masterpiece of art. Listening to music is like living in pure nirvana. Utter and complete happiness.
Teenagers use music as their outlet- whether it’s for their angry emo outbursts or their hormones causing waves of unfamiliar emotions they don’t know how to deal with. As a teenager myself, I listen to music about 90% of my time and I’m always the happiest when I do. When I feel frustrated, I listen to angry punk rock to fuel my fire. When I’m sad, I listen to fast paced rock or pop-punk to forget about my feelings of sadness and bring new feelings of happiness instead.
Mental health is a driving factor of emotions for every single person on this earth. Everyone goes through different stages of their lives with different feelings and different emotions. A person’s mental health is affected by relationships, stress, wellbeing and more. Most, if not all, teenagers use music to help or control their mental health. Music is like a safety net for kids. It helps release tension and stress, while releasing the pent-up emotions that they hide within their minds. Emotions can be scary, and music is one of the most relieving ways for one to understand them.
Another thing about our modern-day teenagers is that older music is being appreciated just as much as the new releases. 60% of teenagers listen to pop hits from the ‘80s and ‘90s, and numerous teenagers listen to classic old rock bands like The Rolling Stones or The Beatles.
Music is an escape. It’s a way to express yourself through different beats, artists, melodies and lyrics. Music makes you truly feel- I personally believe it’s the definition of serotonin. Music saves lives. We should be blessed that we were rewarded with the gift of rock and roll and the art called music.