In the world of music listeners, none are more susceptible to misrepresented images and the bandwagon effect than kids. Adolescents are easily fooled and duped by hard to understand messages and in their quest to become the kind of person they want to be, they can easily take these misunderstandings and turn them into the wrong kind of person. Metal music is full of complex themes and hard to understand lyrics that can be easily misrepresented as satanic and condoning of violence. Kids are also very open to the messages of pop culture, especially music because nowadays it is very challenging to censor all the potentially harmful music that is on sharing websites and even well-known public markets. Children’s minds are prime for molding and this is why a complex media such as heavy metal can go misunderstood in the eyes of the youth. Careful research has been done to explain the connections between listening to supposedly violent lyrics and their effects on unformed minds.
A study, published by Felicity Baker and William Bor, takes a look at the psychological connection that young people make with music. This study compiles research across many different psychological databases and draws up to a simple conclusion: adolescents believe in music. Music is a haven for adolescents; they are more attracted to it than the atoms of a water molecule. In adolescents the attraction is particularly strong due to the strong connections one can find in music with oneself and the person one wants to become. Kids are attracted to certain music because they hear little parts of what they think is cool, or they find something to connect with to solidify the person they are and they cling to it. Wholeheartedly kids jump into the culture surrounding what connects them to who they are, and music has a beautiful cultural following. This is what creates problems with kids and Heavy Metal music. While it is a wonderful thing for adolescents to discover who they want to be, some images and messages are far too complex for the comprehension of a pure mind. If a kid hears messages such as suicide and murder in a song they associate as “cool”, that theme automatically becomes less and less of a bad thought. Societally kids are taught that killing is wrong and that living is a wonderful thing, but if they feel particularly defiant and their mode of being different is in a culture where killing is openly sung or preached about, they might just see it as an ultimate act of being oneself or defying societal norms. It is not at all that heavy metal music says to kill, that it condones any violence whatsoever. This is simply false. The main problem with possible psychological issues stems from misunderstanding and a following beyond normal limits. Because kids will believe in what they see as cool and mature and defiant, they can make the wrong choice and act out upon something they did not fully understand in the first place. This is tragedy in the full sense of the word. The kids who generally choose to act out on these emotions are generally not psychologically sound, either. They usually have problems in the home which cause anxiety or depression issues; it is these ones usually seen to act violently after exposure to the metal scene. However, once the youth begin to grow and mature, the music is seen as a positive influence, a kind of outlet for any rage or bad feelings they may have. For those who are able to comprehend the culture and its messages it is a godsend. The rates of suicidal thoughts and outward violence are significantly lower around the age of 18 for those who listen to metal, they, in fact, say that the music calms them down. The culture also provides a safe zone for misunderstood kids, as metal proves to be a common bonding ground. Once someone is old enough to correctly interpret the goals of heavy metal music, it can be a great source of bonding and a great outlet for pent up emotions.
In a separate study published by Kevin Took and David Weiss, they take a look at the rates of drug use and other negative impacts of listening to heavy metal music as a child. What they found is much more surprising. In accordance with the study, the authors interviewed a few child psychologists beforehand to gain some knowledge before questioning kids themselves. One particular psychologist remarked that 83% of his patients listened to heavy metal music and only 50% of them actually knew the words. This is certainly an interesting point which leads to just the raw power and emotion of music to potentially help deal with situations. The kids are psychological patients, a lot from military and poor households, who have other outstanding issues and the point taken away from their participation is the fact that they listen to metal music. This small group of heavy metal fans proves the point that heavy metal is used as a method to help deal with family issues in conjunction with other methods. The kids in this study posted below average performance in school and nearly a third of them have turned to substance abuse as well. The stats in this study prove that when the music is adopted before it is able to be understood, it can lead down an unsightly path. The kids in this study began listening to the music, for the most part, in elementary school with the start of their counseling. They were looking for comfort and they used music to help them out. This, as a result, gave them the wrong impression of the metal lifestyle and in conjunction with their home lives took to the dark side of metal fandom. These kids continued spiraling downward to drugs and sex. They were vulnerable and took what they could for comfort and ended up in the wrong places. Those kids who were older when they began listening to the music displayed very different results in this study. Those who were older understood what they were listening to and were able to more effectively use it as a coping method without it leading to a life of drugs and promiscuity. Music is there for anyone who needs it. Lyrics don’t change themselves and a recorded song sounds exactly the same each time it is played. Music is constant. Constant is what these kids need. If they choose the right style and appropriate type for them, music can grow to be how they define themselves; it can be their safe haven. Only music has this power. When used incorrectly, however, especially heavy metal music, it can be a danger to those who are not ready to try and comprehend how complex it truly is. The music is beautiful as any; it just takes a refined ear to recognize that.
In a separate study published by Kevin Took and David Weiss, they take a look at the rates of drug use and other negative impacts of listening to heavy metal music as a child. What they found is much more surprising. In accordance with the study, the authors interviewed a few child psychologists beforehand to gain some knowledge before questioning kids themselves. One particular psychologist remarked that 83% of his patients listened to heavy metal music and only 50% of them actually knew the words. This is certainly an interesting point which leads to just the raw power and emotion of music to potentially help deal with situations. The kids are psychological patients, a lot from military and poor households, who have other outstanding issues and the point taken away from their participation is the fact that they listen to metal music. This small group of heavy metal fans proves the point that heavy metal is used as a method to help deal with family issues in conjunction with other methods. The kids in this study posted below average performance in school and nearly a third of them have turned to substance abuse as well. The stats in this study prove that when the music is adopted before it is able to be understood, it can lead down an unsightly path. The kids in this study began listening to the music, for the most part, in elementary school with the start of their counseling. They were looking for comfort and they used music to help them out. This, as a result, gave them the wrong impression of the metal lifestyle and in conjunction with their home lives took to the dark side of metal fandom. These kids continued spiraling downward to drugs and sex. They were vulnerable and took what they could for comfort and ended up in the wrong places. Those kids who were older when they began listening to the music displayed very different results in this study. Those who were older understood what they were listening to and were able to more effectively use it as a coping method without it leading to a life of drugs and promiscuity. Music is there for anyone who needs it. Lyrics don’t change themselves and a recorded song sounds exactly the same each time it is played. Music is constant. Constant is what these kids need. If they choose the right style and appropriate type for them, music can grow to be how they define themselves; it can be their safe haven. Only music has this power. When used incorrectly, however, especially heavy metal music, it can be a danger to those who are not ready to try and comprehend how complex it truly is. The music is beautiful as any; it just takes a refined ear to recognize that.