Despite what your parents may have said, metal music is actually good for you.
Looking for a reason to listen to metal music? This report may help.
According to a study published in the Journal Community Psychology, metal music can actually boost mental health. Researchers Paula Rowe and Bernard Guerin from the University South Australia found that metal provided a positive outlet for people aged 18 to 24.
Writing on their findings, Rowe and Guerin explained,
The study noted that young people used the genre to identify the stress challenging environments that they’ve encountered. Metal music also helped participants sustain their identities. The global heavy metal community also provided a strong sense “belonging and acceptance.” Rowe and Guerin added,
“All participants described how the embodiment metal identities brought about a sense social protection.”
Researchers also believe that past conclusions metal music and worsening mental health have been limited. These limitations have led people to come to wrong conclusions about the genre.
Rowe and Guerin noted that negative perception metal music has only increased thanks to violent outbursts from public performers. They cited Ozzy Osbourne biting the head f a dove as a clear example.
Three years ago, the University Queensland’s Dr. Genevivie Dingle came to similar conclusions in her research. Speaking with Australian news outlet ABC, she hoped that these studies could “bust the myth” surrounding metal music. She found that the genre lacked elements considered inherently negative and harmful to people’s well-being.
A similar study published in 2016 found that metal music allowed listeners to cope with their own mortality. Researchers added that the genre served as an “escape from depression and even helpful against death-related thoughts.”
Furthermore, a study done by Humboldt State University found that metalheads generally lived happier lives than non-metal music listeners. Echoing Rowe and Guerin’s findings, Tasha R. Howe, a psychology pressor at HSU, noted,
Featured image by mzagerp (CC by 2.0)
