Why Teens Need Their Music

Young people seem to have quite a relationship with their headphones or ear buds don’t they. No matter where they are, or what they are doing, they have their music. Why is a teen’s music so important and necessary to them?

According to research, a teenager’s music is a way of defining and sharing their sense of self identity. Clinical social worker Kathryn Rudlin says, “Teens tend to gravitate to music describing what they are feeling and what is important to them.” Teenagers are desperately trying to make sense of a world that usually doesn’t make sense to them. Often times the words in popular songs that your teen is drawn to expresses their own feelings and experiences. It could be love, hate, sadness, happiness…teens have extremely powerful emotions on all sides of the hormonal spectrum. Research is now showing that music is actually helping their brains develop as they grow.

Don’t get jealous of your teens ear buds. Parents want to be their child’s sounding board and you still can at times. Music however is more immediate to them. To a teenager,  the singer is singing that song directly to them and knows exactly how they feel.

Most importantly just as you did when you were younger, your teen is exploring identity. A teenager bonding with her friends who like the same music helps your teen understand themselves. Also let them try out different musical genres.  Music for your teenager is a legitimate path to self-discovery.

You can read more on this at huffingtonpost.com