Music: Boon or Bane?

 

"Music can change the world because it can change people." -Bono

I agree with this quote by famous singer Paul David Hewson, known by his stage name Bono. Music changes the way people see the world. Even though the exact definition of music varies considerably around the globe, Music can be defined as the combination of vocals and instruments to produce beauty of form, harmony, melody, rhythm, and expression of emotion. People listen to different genres of music (Jazz, Pop, Electric, Classical, Heavy metal, Folk, etc.) depending on the following factors:1. Personality traits
2. Mood
3. Age
4. Environment  
5. Circumstance
6. Exposure 
7. Familiarity


Let us discuss some benefits of listening to music:

According to estimates, an average person hears roughly 1.3 million songs in their lifetime. Research done by Statista in the second quarter of 2021 shows the number of music streaming subscribers worldwide amounts to 523.9 million. Paid music streaming subscriptions have become a norm for music fans, and the market has seen a consistently impressive increase in subscribers over the last few years. This is the amount of craze music fans have. A day without music would feel overwhelming, depressing, and unproductive. Most of us have read or heard about the benefits of listening to music every day.

1. It’s heart-healthy. Research has shown that blood flows more easily when music is played. It can also reduce heart rate, lower blood pressure, decrease cortisol (stress hormone) levels and increase serotonin and endorphin levels in the blood. 

-Serotonin is found in many parts of your body: in your digestive system, blood platelets, and throughout the central nervous system. It's also thought to play a role in regulating your mood.

-Endorphins are chemical signals in the brain that block the perception of pain and increase the feelings of well-being. They are produced and stored in the pituitary gland.

2. Music helps in therapy. The American Music Therapy Association describes music therapy as the use of music in hospitals, outpatient clinics, rehab clinics, nursing homes, schools, correctional facilities, and substance use programs to help meet the medical, physical, emotional, and cognitive needs of patients.

3. Music boosts exercise performance. A 2020 research review confirms that working out with music improves your mood, helps your body exercise more efficiently and cuts down on your awareness of exertion. Working out with music also leads to longer workouts. 

4. Music decreases fatigue. In 2015, researchers at Shanghai University found that relaxing music helped reduce fatigue and maintain muscle endurance when people were engaged in a repetitive task.

Trusted Source

But here's the catch! In spite of music having a huge fanbase and health benefits, there's a dark side to it. The following is a list of disadvantages of listening to music:

1. Hearing loss

If we listen to music at a high volume for long periods of time, or if we play high-pitched instruments without protecting our ears, we will likely experience hearing loss issues and tinnitus. Your music player at maximum volume can actually be louder than listening to a rock concert. The average rock concert can exceed 100 decibels. This is a whopping 16 times louder than 70 dB. Studies indicate that hearing damage can occur within minutes of exposure to this level of noise.

2. Music can be distracting

A lot of young students do their homework or prepare for their exams while listening to their favorite hits. Adults also adopt this habit during working hours. As a result, they may experience mild memory loss. Adults often adopt this habit during

While some kinds of music, such as classical symphonies or binaural beats, could improve your focus, listening to the radio or to a Spotify playlist filled with all your favorite tracks could distract you from the task you are doing.

In addition to emotional side effects, music can negatively affect your relationships. As a result of sexual imagery in particular musical creations, the perception of human connection is heavily altered based on the profanity presented. There is a risk of relationships being negatively affected, resulting in possible toxic relationships.

The lyrics of any song or music matter a lot. Rap nowadays consists of such elements, including beats. These beats motivate you to indulge in vulgarity which will eventually do more harm to you than benefit. Music of this type releases high levels of happiness hormones (such as adrenaline and dopamine), the same hormones released when a person consumes drugs like cocaine, marijuana, etc. 

 

So, the question arises, what kind of music should we listen to and what is the optimum level at which we should listen to it?

The following list is the answer to this question:

-Songs with a specific tempo
-Songs without lyrics
-Songs played at medium or lower volumes
-Songs that include sounds of nature 

Now that you've read this blog, I hope you have taken some learning away. Do you have a positive or negative opinion of music now? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comment section below. I will see you next time with some other intriguing content. Till then, goodbye.