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Being one of the most prominent constants in a teenager's life, music can uplift, recover and bring teens together. Teenagers find a sense of control over their identity and their emotions when they have the power to choose the music that best suits their personalities. Music is a bridge between cultures and cliques, a shoulder to cry on, and a flame of hope for teenagers who search for belonging and understanding. There's no doubt that music has its downsides. Negative themes are a danger to the vulnerable teenage mind, but how these themes affect teenagers lies in the power of choice. It's important for parents and teachers to remember that teens aren't trying to use their music to intentionally rebel, they are exploring their tastes and finding an outlet to release their emotions in a safe way. With the right amount of guidance in finding positive music and a little bit of trust, parents can help their teens help themselves as they create their own world with their music.

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- Fiossi-Kpadonou, Sessou, Kpadonou, Agossou. “Music and Emotions of Teenagers in Benin”. Journal of Child Adolescent Behavior, 30 November 2016,

.https://www.omicsonline.org/open-access/music-and-emotions-of-teenagers-in-benin-2375-4494-1000323.php?aid=82580

- Saarikallio, Suvi Helinä et al. “Music Listening for Supporting Adolescents' Sense of Agency in Daily Life.” Frontiers in psychology vol. 10 2911. 8 Jan. 2020,

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6960221/

- UAGC Staff. “How Does Music Affect Your Brain?: UAGC: University of Arizona Global Campus.” UAGC, 8 Dec. 2021,

https://www.uagc.edu/blog/how-does-music-affect-your-brain

- “Study Reveals Teens' Strong Commitment to Music and Music Making.” NAMM.org, 3 Feb. 2008,

https://www.namm.org/news/press-releases/study-reveals-teens-strong-commitment-music-

- Nelson, Ted. “The Effects of Music on Teens of the 1950s.” Our Pastimes, 4 May 2021,

https://ourpastimes.com/the-effects-of-music-on-teens-of-the-1950s-12570973.html

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Artists and composers use music as an outlet to convey deep themes and feelings, many of which are tabooed or swept under the rug in modern society. Mental illness has come into the spotlight in recent years, especially after almost 3 years spent in isolation from the Coronavirus. Anxiety, depression, and loneliness/isolation are not uncommon for modern teenagers, and songs referencing these themes aren't either. Journalist Rebecca Laclair emphasizes that teens gravitate towards music that reciprocates what they’re feeling. In other words, they listen to music they can relate to. Having this kind of shared experience with a musical artist is extremely personal for teens, as music acts as a reminder that they're not alone in their emotions.

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After conducting a research study on the average teenager's commitment to music, Patricia Campbell concluded that "Music is their social glue- a bridge for building acceptance and tolerance for people of different ages and cultural circumstances." This is in perfect accordance with school dances, concerts, musicals, and singing with friends in the car. Music brings cultures and cliques together in a way that no other platform or activity can. In his study of teenagers' music listening habits, Toussaint G. Kpadonou found that 67.6% of teens listen to music in group settings on top of individual listening. As teens jump up and down in the modern "mosh pit" or squish together for the Cha-Cha Slide, they're uniting under music and embracing a feeling of belonging and connectedness that dissolves prejudices and societal gaps.

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Music is an intentional joy giver. It stimulates the brain and triggers the release of dopamine, a chemical that brings an overall sense of pleasure and excitement. There's a science behind a teen's favorite song. When you have a song on repeat "the brain can even anticipate the most pleasurable peaks in familiar music and prime itself with an early dopamine rush." (University of Arizona) A teenager's connection to a song is a direct result of familiarity in the brain, and in some ways, this can make a song seem somewhat addicting. This supports the fact that the teenage brain is very susceptible to change when emotions are involved, which we see with the influence of peer pressure. On a musical high, teenagers can feel uplifted and have an increased sense of belonging that surpasses the temporal and destructive effects of a substance high that leaves teens defeated.

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Teenagers Choosing their Music, through Time

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Teenagers Choosing their Music, through Time

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The birth of Rock n' Roll brought about a new world for the 1950 teenager. Prior to the upbeat, soulful sounds of Rock n' Roll, teenagers listened to the music of their parents. For teens in the 1950s, a new genre meant a new identity. In his article, "The Effects of Music on Teens of the 1950s," Ted Nelson describes that Rock n' Roll kickstarted a new social norm between parents and teenagers, as new popular music and culture became the foundation of a teenager's identity outside of their parents. With access to numerous music platforms, teenagers today have even more opportunities to develop their own tastes in music, and with more genres of music, teens have infinite opportunities to find an artist or a band that they connect with.

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Music is a teenager's one-way ticket to creating their own identity. Through music, teenagers define themselves. According to a study conducted by Suvi Helinä Saarikallio, music connects to self-agency, or the idea that you choose what influences your well-being. The effects of negative themes on teenagers cannot be ignored, but when music is chosen for the right reasons, it can be life-changing for a teenager's mental health. Saarikallio continues to say, "When using music to cope with pain or stressful medical interventions, control and agency have also appeared to matter significantly: the beneficial effects of music have been reported to be especially visible when the participants could choose their own music to listen to." When a teen pops in their AirPods or turns up their radio, they're using their music to develop their identity.

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It's not just in our earbuds and on the radios of our cars. It's in grocery stores, the rhythmic taps of a pencil against a desk, and every social gathering and setting. The teenagers of this generation in particular have the opportunity to have music in their ears at any point of the day, or all day. But What are teens pumping their fists to at dances and parties? What kinds of lyrics are playing on repeat in their heads? What's happening inside a teenager's head when they listen to music? And how does music positively affect the modern-day teen?