Positive Effects of Heavy Metal

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Sam Buxton English 1010 Derek Henderson 08 December, 2012 Heavy Metal = Satan? In our society today, many look down upon heavy metal/ hardcore music and think that it is a major cause of depression, recklessness, anger issues, problems with grades and behavior at school, bad attitudes, and increased violent tendencies in teens that decide to predominantly listen to it. However, studies have shown that not only is this not true, but the opposite is most often the case. Listening to heavy metal music can increase positive moods, decrease violent tendencies, release internal anger and stress, and make a person happier. A study on mood and depression conducted by Shaleen L. Coss of the psychology department at Loyola University, found that participants who listened to heavy metal music with violent lyrics and music were less likely to feel depressed afterward than those who listened to non-violent songs. She also found that heavy-metal music listeners had higher self-esteem than other participants because of the rush listeners feel from violent music.(Jennifer Copely metaphoricalplatypus.com 2012) One of the most vocalized claims about heavy-metal music is that it makes its listeners, especially its young listeners, more violent. A study on violence, also by Shaleen L. Coss at Loyola University, found that this is not true, and there is no direct relationship between heavy-metal music and violence in teenagers. In fact, it was found that participants that listened to heavy-metal music were less violent than those in the control group. The reason is unclear, but one guess is that since the listener is exposed to violent music, they become adverse to it and decrease their desire to be violent. (Jennifer Copely metaphoricalplatypus.com) The Calgary Herald has reported that many teenagers with higher levels of intelligence are naturally drawn to heavy-metal music,
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