Metal fans more prone to mental illness
by Elizabeth Bromstein
What your musical preferences say about you
We are shocked, shocked I tell you, at the Gigwise report that metal fans are at risk for mental illness and depression. The story is that a study published in this week's Australasian Psychiatry journal claims "teenagers who listen to heavy metal are big on unprotected sex, self-harm and shoplifting."
The brief note does not differentiate between nu metal, old school, thrash metal, death metal, black metal and glam metal and we are left to wonder whether Judas Priest fans are equally as likely to shoplift as Megadeth fans, or if Evanescence fans are as depressed as Hatebreed fans. Questions questions. I need more information. A quest to access the actual journal article online leads to nothing but frustration.
Meanwhile fans of pop have to deal with "curiosity about their sexuality and worries about peer-acceptance," which is interesting because you'd think all teens would be curious about their sexuality but obviously metal fans are too busy being self destructive to dwell on it much while dance music fans are too busy doing drugs. Yes, "those who listen to dance indulge in more drug use, no matter what their socio-economic background is." Can you believe it!?
"Jazz fans struggle with social acceptance, usually settling down as misfits and 'loners.' Rap fans are also keen on theft, violence and anger, according to the study." I know! Me neither!
Wait...back up...teenage jazz fans? Really? OK. (Maybe they mean "jazz FAN" singular. And that's why he's a loner. Or perhaps teenagers are cooler than I thought)
Nothing, says Gigwise, was mentioned about punk or alternative - where they would likely find common propensities for sulking and hair products.
We're wondering about the chicken or egg question. You know, do metal fans shoplift because they listen to metal or do they listen to metal because they shoplift? I can't think of any metal tunes with references to five finger discounts unlike references to losing your marbles like Ozzy Osbourne going off the rails on a crazy train - but that doesn't mean there aren't any out there.
Anyway, not sure what they're telling us with this one. Take away your kid's Pantera albums? Or if you happen to find 'Cowboys From Hell' lying around the house, hide the knives?
