Answer:
Yes, I legit just wrote a whole paper on this!
Explanation:
Many adolescents enjoy listening to sad lyrics after breakups, or aggressive music when they feel angry. Yet when one listens to such music, they must take into account the severe impact it may have on both their psychological and emotional well-being. Aristotle once said “Music directly imitates the passions or states of the soul; hence, when one listens to music that imitates certain passion, he becomes imbued with the same passion,” followed by, “...if one listens to the wrong kind of music, he will become the wrong kind of person; but, conversely, if he listens to the right kind of music, he will tend to become the right kind of person.” Is there truth behind what this wise man once said so long ago? Research has shown that the music one listens to may impact their behavior, memory retention, and overall emotional health.
First of all, it is worth considering that when one repetitively listens to songs containing negative messages, the listener could become more prone to high anxiety levels, aggressive behaviors, and suicidal thoughts. Teenagers typically undergo a boundless range of emotional highs and lows daily, and many use music to express said emotions. With balance, most forms of music are acceptable as outlets to release a wide range of repressed feelings. However, during adolescence, teens are highly impressionable and emotional because their minds are still developing. Excessive exposure to negative messages can cause the listener to ruminate on negative thoughts and, in some cases, affect the nervous system and dysregulate some of the body’s natural rhythms (Taylor). In fact, studies have revealed that enough exposure to disharmonic music or songs with violent and immoral themes can induce aggressive and negative thoughts, thus increasing the likelihood of negative behavior (Avramova). Music with lyrics depicting negative behaviors could even become a stumbling block to listeners who may have had a previous history with such actions or influence them to think about negative actions, and potentially lead them to take part in those improper acts. Not only that, but music may also have the ability to impact relationships negatively. Worldly lyrics are often full of profanity and are overtly sexualized. They tend to present romantic relationships as something that is chiefly physical. Such music could potentially alter the listeners’ idea of what relationships should look like, consequently leading to toxic relationships (Herron).
