Why Kids Listen To Music

The culture of music is a way of life: a way of talking, thinking, behaving and relating to others, that separates music listeners from those who do not listen. The culture encompasses values, places, rituals, symbols and of course lyrics or messages - all of which reinforce one's involvement in excessive music consumption. A particular music listener may have initially started to listen to music in order to deal with emotional issues or peer pressure.
James Lull (1987), in his book "Popular Music and Communication", discusses similar topics - how listening to music can enable one to escape from personal burdens and tensions, stimulate fantasies and feelings of mental and physical ecstasy, and to alleviate loneliness. Music helps to establish, reinforce or change moods. Anger, frustration, depression, restlessness, aimlessness, self doubt - these emotions lead one to seek music that mirrors the emotions, in an effort to seek validation. All these psychological aspects must be examined in the recovery process.

Giving up music addiction is easy but recovering from the psychological reasons which create the music addiction is difficult. In making the transition from the culture of music to the culture of recovery, the music listener has to learn to deal with the cues and cravings of the soul. Exposure to environmental and internal cues associated with emotional stress or hyperactivity can trigger cravings that cause cognitive and psychological need to see solace in music.

Full article coming soon inshaAllah!