By: Jayita Bandargal
Introduction
They say that a man's best friend is a dog. But now I think it is safe to say that a teenager’s best friend is headphones. We are constantly surrounded by music: at home, in the car, in schools, in theaters, etc. Music is universal and is present everywhere (maybe not in libraries and the deep
wilderness) How does that affect our brain and our behavior? How does it help shape a teen's life? These are the questions that this paper will be answering.
What does music do to the brain?
When we listen to music nearly all parts of our brain light up including our hippocampus (which plays a vital role in learning memory, and emotions) and amygdala (a major processing center for emotions), this activates our emotional responses to the music. Dopamine, a neurotransmitter, is best known for its association with pleasure and happiness. When we listen to a song we enjoy this neurotransmitter is released and gives us that feel-good sensation.
Music and Expression
We listen to music that ‘resonates’ with us. The music traps us with its lyrics, melody, rhythms, etc., and they touch our souls in some special way. As we learned earlier, music activates our limbic system (consisting of the hippocampus and amygdala) which controls our emotions. It helps teenagers express emotions that can be hard to convey verbally. We usually listen to a happy song when feeling sad to lift our spirits up or if we are overstimulated and need a good cry to let it all out we listen to sad songs. Music is a coping mechanism for teenagers to get through adolescence. Some studies suggest that listening to music can reduce blood pressure and release certain hormones, like cortisol and adrenaline, which in turn can reduce stress and anxiety in teenagers. This could be the main reason why we shut our doors and max out the volume on our music after a bad day which leaves us stressed and restless. Music stimulates brain activity, leading to better academic or extracurricular performance. Learning an instrument leads to even better outcomes: improving memory, coordination, understanding of emotions, analytical analysis, etc.
Positive effects of music
The positive effects of music are essentially a summary of the above-mentioned points. The type of music influences our behavior and thought processes. For example, a song with a positive message would impact teenagers in a better way rather than negative lyrics.
o It reduces stress
o Helps with dealing with anxiety and depression (to a certain level)
o Stimulates memories. Music therapy has shown positive outcomes in Alzheimer's and dementia patients
o Aids in socialization through concerts and common interest
o Gives us emotional support
Negative effects of music
o Hearing loss. The start of this article mentioned that a teenager's best friend is headphones. Excessive listening through headphones or earphones with loud volumes can result in permanent damage
o Listening to negative songs for a long time especially when we are already in a bad mood can elongate the period of this feeling
o Excessive listening leads to poorer attention spans therefore affecting us in other areas such as academic
o As adolescents, our minds are not fully developed. Listening to music that invokes negative behavior will influence teenagers more compared to adults
References
North AC, Hargreaves DJ, O'Neill SA., (2000, June), The Importance of Music to Adolescents, The British Psychological Society (p. 255-272)
Goga O., (2024, Sept 17), The Effect of Music on Teenagers’ Daily Lives
https://mobilestories.com/effect-music-teenagers-daily-lives#:~:text=In%20conclusion%2C%20 music%20has%20an,in%20shaping%20their%20adolescent%20years.
Eck A., (2024, March), How Music Resonates in the Brain
https://magazine.hms.harvard.edu/articles/how-music-resonates-brain#:~:text=Music%20also% 20lights%20up%20nearly,and%20the%20body's%20motor%20system.
Beresin G., The Power of Music: T Feel, Heal and Connect
https://www.mghclaycenter.org/parenting-concerns/families/the-power-of-music-to-feel-heal-and connect/
Warren CS., (2014, Oct 23), Music is What Feelings Sounds like
Shepherd B., (2022, Dec 15), How does Music Affect your Brain?
https://www.livescience.com/how-does-music-affect-your-brain#:~:text=Dopamine%20is%20a% 20signaling%20molecule,of%20this%20feel%2Dgood%20hormone.
Zoppi L., (2020, Nov 4), What is Music Therapy, and How does it Work? https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/music-therapy
Chen L., (2023, Aug 3), Influence of music on the hearing and mental health of adolescents and countermeasures
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10434992/#:~:text=4.1.&text=Excessive%20and%20i mproper%20use%20of,potentially%20affecting%20daily%20life%20negatively.
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