Overmoe 1

Adam Overmoe

Erin Rogers

Writing 2010

4/22/19

Unforeseen Dangers of Music

Music is arguably a universal language and one of the oldest ways of communicating.

There are many different sounds and instruments used to create music. However, it is up to the

listener to interpret how he or she sees fit. This is where genres make an appearance. There are a

variety of styles, from country and soul to hip-hop and rap. Generally certain types of music

discuss a point of view or link to a common emotion. No matter what the style or type of music

an individual is listening to, it can have some alarming outcomes in a real world setting. Being

too involved with music may increase your chances of physical and emotional harm to yourself.

When thinking about the negative effects of music, one will most likely think about

emotional effects. However, there are a surprising amount of physical effects as well. People

look to music for a variety of different reasons: comfort, relaxation, clarity etc. Whatever the

reason may be, the exposure to music, may have a large downside. This is surprising for most

people, because there have been numerous studies and surveys advocating and promoting music

as a positive source.

A main concern of listening to music at increased volumes, is the damage it may cause to

our hearing. This issue is mainly correlated with teens and young adults, because they tend to
 Overmoe 2

like their music louder. Advances in technology are not helping this problem. Music devices are

becoming more and more portable and sound quality is becoming sharper and more pure within

earbuds; in turn making a greater impact on our hearing and eardrums. There was a study

conducted recently, with a sample size of a couple hundred kids, and 170 of them were

experiencing the symptoms of early onset tinnitus or “ringing of the ears”. These results were

due to blasting music too loud and not wearing proper ear protection when going to concerts and

other musical events.

This problem among teens is hard to stop and control. There are not really any

alternatives for listening to music too loudly, except for wearing ear protection or from the start

turning the music down. This issue is relatable to others and, ‘compares the evolving campaign

against loud music to the early years of the campaign against smoking, in the sense that many

people have no idea that they are hurting themselves, and would take steps to prevent injury if

they had the right information’ (McMaster).

Listening to music while driving has been reported as being a hazard for everyone on the

road. A study about this concern provided evidence that it can be dangerous to listen to music

while driving. It delays the reaction time of the driver, due to being in a noisy environment. The

study produced alarming numbers that should definitely be considered while driving. ‘They

found that at 95 decibels—well below the 110 decibel average maximum of a car

stereo—reaction time decreased by 20 percent, an incredibly significant percentage when

operating a 2-ton vehicle at high speeds.’ This is an important statistical analysis of driving while

listening to music, and should be identified more as a driving danger.

 Overmoe 3

The problem is not necessarily listening to music while driving, but actively listening and

participating with the flows and lyrics of the song. Passengers do not help this situation at all,

and usually are the common denominator behind distractions and car wrecks. It is no surprise

that when drivers listen to music they tend to listen to their favorite songs. This causes drivers to

naturally enter a mindset, unknown to them, that can distract them from the road. We can all

relate to when our favorite song comes on over the radio or on a playlist, and usually the effect of

this is a distracting spark within our brains. This is a great feeling of course, but not a safe one

while driving. Music as the main culprit along with other distractions causes an average of 3,330

deaths and 387,000 injuries a year while driving (Brodsky).

Music has been found to negatively affect relationships between people. There are of

course upsides to listing to music while in a relationship. But there are naturally pros and cons to

nearly everything. Unfortunately the cons are starting to take over when it comes to

relationships. This is because a large amount of music today has negative connotations of women

or sexual gestures, that are not widely accepted in society. ‘A 2006 study of almost 1,500 teens

found, however, that teens who heavily listen to music featuring such subject matter are more

likely to start having sex earlier than those who do not, by a margin of almost two to one’

(Eckardt).

This theme is more common in rap, but it still leaks into most other genres. The effects of

this are that young males, being the majority, get an unrealistic idea of what a relationship should

be, and what is involved. Studies have shown that men tend to be more carefree and see women
 Overmoe 4

as sex objects. Because of these studies, people think that this lowers kids’ inhibitions and makes

them less thoughtful, at least in terms of their decisions.

A broader examination of music is the industry behind it, which has often been described

as a cutthroat industry or in other words: the survival of the fittest. In this case the physical

effects do not come directly from listening to the lyrics or sounds, but rather from the people

who are producing and creating these songs. Hit songs usually have a face behind them, often a

celebrity or icon. In today’s world, with social media and other platforms of self-expression; it

has become easier than ever to display an opinion to others on a mass scale. The result of this is

not advantageous for the music industry. At least it is not on teens and young adults who buy

into what musicians and artists say, do, and represent in their daily lives. One of the main reasons

why artists today are so successful, is because they have the financial security to experiment with

ridiculous fashion, appearance, and life-style trends. In the eyes of a ‘wanna be teen’, these

celebrities might as well be Gods. Teens are often seen trying to copy what their favorite

musician does, says or promotes. This aspect of music does not help self-growth and

independency in the long run.

Musicians are not only affecting fashion and appearance trends, but they are also playing

a huge hand in promoting products for companies. In today’s social media driven society,

marketing and effective advertising is extremely important for success. The most common way

large companies promote their products, is through popular and recognizable faces, such as

music stars. Most of the ads found on television or the radio today, are for restaurants or a

speciality food item, like Coca-Cola or the Double Stack burger from McDonalds. Mass
 Overmoe 5

advertising of these products by celebrity musicians has created a surge in obesity for the

younger generation. Kids want to be associated with brands and restaurants that are endorsed by

their favorite singer, because it is portrayed as being ‘cool’. Food and beverage companies spend

around $2 billion per year on marketing, geared toward specifically targeting the youth.

Dr. Bragg, who is at NYU College of Global Public Health, stated that, "Because of our nation's

childhood and teenage obesity public health crises, it is important to raise awareness about how

companies are using celebrities popular with these audiences to market their unhealthy

products.” American children and teens are exposed to 5,000 - 6,000 ads per year, according to

the Institute of Medicine research. There are also around 300 million views on YouTube about

food and beverage endorsements associated with celebrities. The Institute of Medicine research,

stated, “Celebrity food endorsements promote higher product preference, and exposure to any

kind of food advertising is linked to "excessive consumption” (NYU).

Looking more into the effects of music emotionally, there are many persuasive studies

and statistics with valid evidence and reasoning. Music can take a tremendous toll on one’s

psyche and mental state. Different genres have different effects on the user, but the overall

outcome is typically the same. Just like the physical effects of music on someone; there are pros

and cons when it comes to the emotional effects of listening to music. However, the negative

effects are surpassing the benefits with how music is being created today.

Depressing music has been seen to increase anxiety, clinical neuroses and clinical

depression. That might be an easy observation to make: that listening to depressing music, causes

negative emotional effects. The problem is that most music today and the more popular music,
 Overmoe 6

tends to have negative associations with life and the state of the world. This is a reflection on

society and the younger generation, but the results are unfortunately the truth.

A 2015 study wanted to better understand if listening to music on your own can be a form

of “self-regulation. ‘It concluded that listening to sad music all the time can indeed have a

negative effect​ on mental health. This conclusion was reached by exposing subjects to music of

different kinds while undergoing MRI testing, examining which areas of the brain were activated

by which cues, and following up with psychological testing’(Albornoz).

Humans have rhythmic cycles within their neural system, which help to regulate certain

aspects of our bodies. It has been determined that some types of music may disrupt the natural

flow of our cycles. Arlene R. Taylor, a brain function specialist, commented, “an ​artificial

neurosis​ can ensue from consistent exposure to deleterious music, which can influence the

autonomic nervous system and un-regulate some of the body’s rhythms”. A more specific

example of these effects are in correlation with rock music. A study produced by Scripps

Howard News Service, found startling potential effects on the brain. They reported, “exposure to

rock music causes abnormal neuron structures in the region of the brain associated with learning

and memory” (Taylor). The underlying effects of these studies, yields a conclusion that listening

to the ‘wrong’ type of music may have some lasting negative effects on the brain system.

A genre that seems to be on the rise lately, is the Emo culture. This culture is very

popular among young adults and teens today. Emo is an abbreviation and adopted from

‘emotional hardcore’. The physical definition: ‘a style of rock music resembling punk but having

more complex arrangements and lyrics that deal with more emotional subjects’. Some of these
 Overmoe 7

more emotional subjects deal with heartbreak, depression, self injury, suicide, etcetera. There is

not specifically a main correlation with Emo music and death, but they do appear to go hand in

hand quite often. For instance, people who listen to and are apart of Emo groups, tend to be more

prone to self harm and suicide, along with accidental overdoses.

A recent research paper, conducted by Radek Trnka, Martin Kuška, Karel Balcar and

Peter Tavel, examined and discussed the connections between the Emo genre and death. This

study looked at the typical motives and feelings behind Emo listeners. An overview of their

findings is as follows: “EMO youth subculture bases its subcultural identification mostly on

symbols of death, dying, suicide and other kinds of morbid content. Our research reported

attitudes including high acceptance for suicidal behavior and self-injury. The identification with

the EMO youth subculture is considered to be a factor strengthening vulnerability towards risky

behaviors” (​Radek​).

In conclusion, music is evolving to have negative effects emotionally and physically.

The issue is not that we don’t understand the risks of listening to music, it is that we do not care

enough to change our habits. Hearing loss and tinnitus are more common in young adults who

listen to music too loudly. Only a small portion of the population deals with emotional and

physical problems due to music, and therefore does not warrant a concern for the average person.

However, that is the issue, the general person is not worried because they have not been

affected yet, but if music stays on the path that it currently is, most people will begin to

experience health problems. There are not many remedies for stopping the negative effects of

music, without putting a ban on explicit expression all together. Music is such a vital part of
 Overmoe 8

culture and is said to be the universal language. Many researchers have compared the issue of

music and young adults with the issue of smoking and young adults. There really isn’t an

alternative if you are hooked on it, except to stop all together, which is of course an unlikely

scenario.
 Overmoe 9

Works Cited

Albornoz, Y. (2011). The effects of group improvisational music therapy on depression in

adolescents and adults with substance abuse: a randomized controlled trial. ​Nord. J. Music Ther.
20, 208–224. doi: 10.1080/08098131.2010.522717

“Almost All Food, Beverage Products Marketed by Music Stars Are Unhealthy.” ScienceDaily,
ScienceDaily, 6 June 2016, www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/06/160606081655.htm.

Arnone, D., Pegg, E., Mckie, S., Downey, D., Elliott, R., Deakin, J. F. K., et al. (2009). PW07-02
self-reported rumination as trait marker for depression: evidence from functional neuroimaging.
Eur. Psychiatry​ 24(Suppl. 1), S371. doi: 10.1016/s0924-9338(09)70604-2

Brodsky W, Slor Z. Background music as a risk factor for distraction among young-novice
drivers. ​Accident Analysis & Prevention​. 2013.

Eckardt, Julie. “Professor Conducts Music Video Study.” ​The Daily Evergreen Online,​
archive.dailyevergreen.wsu.edu/read/Professor-conducts-music-video-study.

Hegarty, Jacqueline, and Arlene Taylor. “Potential Negative Impact of Music.” Arlene Taylor-
Realizations Incorporated - Arlene R Taylor PhD, Realizations Inc,
arlenetaylor.org/music-and-the-brain/7410-potential-negative-impact.

McMaster University. "Evidence of hearing damage in teens prompts researchers' warning."

ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 6 June 2016.
<www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/06/160606081703.htm>.

“New York University College of Global Public Health.” ​NYU College of Global Public Health,​
publichealth.nyu.edu/.

Radek Trnka, Martin Kuška, Karel Balcar, Peter Tavel. (2018) Understanding death, suicide and
self-injury among adherents of the emo youth subculture: A qualitative study. ​Death Studies
42:6, pages 337-345.

“10 Surprising Ways Music Can Be Bad For You.” Listverse, 24 June 2016,
listverse.com/2016/06/25/10-surprising-ways-music-can-be-bad-for-you/.