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Are songs we listening to getting more depressing?

Bucky

Bucky

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It may just be me but it appears songs we listen to are getting more depressing. I am not sure how much more compared to 10, 20, 30+ years ago. Psychologically people are more depressed today than in the past.

Here is one connection I see:

"It is possible that the increased rates of depression in adolescents are related to a combination of increased electronics use and sleep disruptions in already vulnerable individuals," said Dr. Karyn Horowitz, a psychiatrist affiliated with Emma Pendleton Bradley Hospital in East Providence, R.I.

"Increased use of electronics, video games more commonly in boys and social media/texting more commonly in girls, can lead to increased conflict both within the home and with peers," she said in the release.

"In preliminary literature, high users of social media have been linked with higher rates of social isolation than low users," Haywood said. "It is important to further explore this relationship."
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https://consumer.healthday.com/ment...iking-more-young-people-than-ever-733845.html

When we have more depressed people, it creates a bigger audience for artists who sing about dark matters like drug use, suicide, etc. Songs and artists today imo tend to be more less bubbly.
 
Bucky said:
It may just be me but it appears songs we listen to are getting more depressing. I am not sure how much more compared to 10, 20, 30+ years ago. Psychologically people are more depressed today than in the past.

Here is one connection I see:



https://consumer.healthday.com/ment...iking-more-young-people-than-ever-733845.html

When we have more depressed people, it creates a bigger audience for artists who sing about dark matters like drug use, suicide, etc. Songs and artists today imo tend to be more less bubbly.
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And the movies too....increasingly they do not inspire, they send the message "Life sucks!".

Life is suffering, art is supposed to be a relief from the crap that is life, but sadly we cant manage anymore.
 
Are songs we listening to getting more depressing?
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A credible answer to that question can be obtained and/or inferred from the content here:

It appears that someone has performed what appears to be an anecdotal analysis (I don't s of a somewhat similar concept; however, as its anecdotal, I have no idea of how representationally faithful and accurate his analysis is, so I wouldn't put much weight on it, but, assuming his categorization of the songs' themes is accurate (a major shortcoming of his exposition is that he doesn't indicate what themes he associated specifically with each song in his survey), his analysis may be credible.
Chad Swiatowicz performed, in 2007 (?) a similar analysis for his master's thesis. I have no idea, however, where to find it or even what be its title. (You can plumb the Internet to find his thesis, but I'm not going to.)

You may also want to review some of Deena Weinstein's research. She too studies the sociology of music.
 
~ Music and movies today are not depressing for me - as I don't watch/listen. I am an old movie and old music type. Highly recommend it ! Old jazz and soul music - even classical. 50s & 60s rock roll/ British invasion, etc.
Late 80s/early 90s introduction of "gansta rap" that glorifies thug life and chants victimhood is obviously going to cause anger, resentment and depression in those who listen. Personally I believe it is all part of the dumbing down of society .
 
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LosAngelesAngel said:
~ Music and movies today are not depressing for me - as I don't watch/listen. I am an old movie and old music type. Highly recommend it ! Old jazz and soul music - even classical. 50s & 60s rock roll/ British invasion, etc.
Late 80s/early 90s introduction of "gansta rap" that glorifies thug life and chants victimhood is obviously going to cause anger, resentment and depression in those who listen. Personally I believe it is all part of the dumbing down of society .
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Depressing and shallow.

We used to be better.
 
Art merely reflects the times we live in...
 
Not me. I don’t listen to depressing music. Never have. I just received a CD of Mick Jagger & the Red Devils. It rocks.

If no one buys crappy, poorly written and produced music the industry will stop playing it and stop selling it.
 
LosAngelesAngel said:
~ Music and movies today are not depressing for me - as I don't watch/listen. I am an old movie and old music type. Highly recommend it ! Old jazz and soul music - even classical. 50s & 60s rock roll/ British invasion, etc.
Late 80s/early 90s introduction of "gansta rap" that glorifies thug life and chants victimhood is obviously going to cause anger, resentment and depression in those who listen. Personally I believe it is all part of the dumbing down of society .
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Me too. Also I read a lot. There are so many good books out there. I’ve also diversified my music tastes and I’m a better man for having done it. Rap never worked for me.
 
I listen to a lot of songs that talk about deeper subjects. But then I listen to songs that are fun. It's a healthy balance for me.
 
Risky Thicket said:
Me too. Also I read a lot. There are so many good books out there. I’ve also diversified my music tastes and I’m a better man for having done it. Rap never worked for me.
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Rap is like my go-to, usually. I'm not you're average white girl. :lol:
 
I don't think it's more depressing, I think it's simply shifting away from the materialism of the late 90s-2000s, and into something more spiritual, and personal.
 
There is this annoying Apple commercial about their new mac book.

Here are the lyrics to the song they are using:

Solid block of gold
Lying in the cold
I feel right at home

Wait if I'm on fire
How am I so deep in love?
When I dream of dying
I never feel so loved
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https://genius.com/Shaed-trampoline-lyrics
 
Quoting...

It may just be me but it appears songs we listen to are getting more depressing. I am not sure how much more compared to 10, 20, 30+ years ago. Psychologically people are more depressed today than in the past.
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Rap-crap doesn't help at all.
 
The trick is to take what should be a depressing song and spin it into something that sounds like a wild adventure. It helps when you have no idea what the lyrics say.

 
I would call this anything but depressing:

 
You will find this one downright funny even if you don't speak the language:

 
I can't see today's music being more depressing than Grunge and industrial music from the early 90s.
 
My favorite songs are old songs done new.

 
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