Positive Effects of Music on Teens

Music is often targeted to teenagers, and because teenagers typically go through big changes and start making life-affecting decisions in their teens, many people naturally wonder what effects music has on teenagers. Does it incite violence? Help test scores? Encourage misogynistic views? Teach them valuable lessons? While there are perhaps some negative effects, there are various positive effects music has on teenagers, too.

Music can help students improve academically, particularly students who study music and learn a musical instrument. Studying music involves math and science, so students often improve in those areas. This improvement can benefit them on testing, such as the SAT. According to the College-Bound Seniors National Report, done in 2001 by the College Examination Board, students who partake in music performance scored, on average, 41 points higher on math and 57 points higher on verbal than students who did not partake in music performance.

Being a teenager can be a rough time emotionally, as the body goes through a lot of changes. Music is an especially emotional art form covering every type of emotion, including happiness, anger, sadness, regret and anxiousness. That’s why music can be especially meaningful to teenagers. If they’re able to find a song that matches their mood, they can feel comfort, as if a friend is with them, as if they’re not alone in their emotions. As music is a way to express emotions, many teenagers might try to make their own music, which can create healthy emotional expression.

Music is often entrenched in culture, and almost every culture has produced music indigenous to them. Thus, listening to music can teach teenagers a lot about their own culture and other cultures they might not normally be exposed to. They can learn musical traditions, musical instruments, history lessons, political issues of that culture and more. Plus, as listening to music is a fun activity for a lot of teenagers, this can often be a more fun way to learn about a culture, rather than simply reading a textbook.

Music tastes and interests can often bring people together, especially teenagers. Learning another teenager likes the same style of music or band can be an easy way for two teenagers to share a connection and begin a relationship, whether friendship or something more. As well, music is often enjoyed in public, at concerts and dance clubs, places teenagers often hang out. Typically, the people attending these concerts and dance clubs already share a common interest, that particular band or music style, so a connection can be easily made. As teenagers sometimes feel isolated or like outcasts, music can help build a sense of community.