From Boomers’ classic rock to Millennials’ love for many genres of pop, music has been a staple in the pop culture of every generation. However, I would argue that our generation, Gen-Z, has the most diverse taste in music yet. Not only that, but while other generations have loved music, I think we do it in a much deeper way. I don’t mean that we love it or listen to it necessarily better, but we are more obsessed with it. I believe music has more of our generation in a chokehold than it ever has with another. We are more passionate about and emotionally attached to artists, songs and genres of music. Why, though? I don’t think this is a coincidence or just because we “love it more.” There are many potential explanations for Gen-Z’s fascinating relationship with music.
Low Attention Spans
Now that everything is on our phones, we are used to so much being at the tip of our fingers. This includes entertainment. While our screens have been serving us as entertainment for decades, the way they do this has evolved. Social media video content popped off with YouTube, but then TikTok was created, and everything changed. Instead of watching one video from one creator that would maybe make us laugh a few times in 10 minutes, we can now watch 20 videos that all make us laugh in the same amount of time. Short-form content has blown up, whether you watch it on TikTok, Instagram or another platform. This, in turn, has shortened our attention spans. We expect to get a serotonin boost in a shorter amount of time.
I believe this is one reason that we are so attached to music. Music is a relatively short form of media. We can also now skip songs we don’t like, or once we get sick of our pop ballad, we can quickly switch to our indie rock mix or whatever we’re in the mood for. The way that music can change allows our brains to be more stimulated. Our lowered attention spans may be behind the way we listen to music.
Multitasking
How fast a song can change isn’t the only reason why our generation is more attached to music than the previous ones. We can also easily listen to music while performing other tasks. Songs are on our phones, making them easy to take everywhere with us. We can listen to music no matter where we are. Even if we are walking around vacuuming, we can still listen to music through our earbuds.
Many of us can multitask and do pretty much anything else while listening to music. People do their homework, clean their room, work out and perform various other daily activities while enjoying music. Some consistently listen to it while in class or even while they sleep. Because we can do so much while music is playing, it has become a regular part of many people’s daily routines.
Listening Platforms
The evolution of music listening platforms has also made it much more convenient for us to listen to music. It has provided us with a space where we can listen to almost any artist we want. You don’t have to buy an individual record or burn your favorite songs onto a CD anymore or even pay to get an album on iTunes anymore. You just download one app, and possibly pay for one membership to have access to all the music you could desire, all in one place.
Platforms have also increased the convenience of listening to music by making it so we don’t have to be decisive about what we are listening to. For example, apps like Spotify or Apple Music will just play whatever you were previously listening to if you don’t click something new. You don’t have to curate a mix or playlist to listen to anymore. Apps can use the information of what music you usually like to create a playlist of songs it thinks you will enjoy. Spotify will even give you a playlist that is tailored to your taste for different moods, varying situations, specific genres or based on a certain artist. Overall, this makes listening to music less of a process and much more of a relaxing experience that takes less brain power.
Emotional Aspects
An unfortunate characteristic of our generation is our wide variety of mental health struggles. Anxiety is one of the most common mental health disorders among Gen-Z, and many people who do not have the disorder still deal with anxious feelings a lot. I believe that this is one root of our musical attachments. How, though? Studies have shown that music can help regulate emotions and thus reduce anxiety. For example, in a study published by the National Library of Medicine, they found that music and auditory stimulation reduced physical and cognitive symptoms of anxiety in participants compared to when they were listening to pink noise. Because of this, I think that for many of us, listening to music is a sort of coping or comforting strategy, even if we don’t know it.
Relatability has also made many artists grow in popularity. Music that is sad or about someone going through a difficult situation, such as a toxic relationship, is relatable for many people dealing with those emotions and situations. Feeling like there are people we can relate to is comforting. Sometimes, listening to sad music can help people get their emotions out through crying, allowing them to move on from a negative situation. On the other hand, people often listen to upbeat music so they feel more energized and positive.
Overall, there are various factors that play into why music has a hold on our generation. Not only is music super accessible, but platforms have also made it so that enjoying music requires less effort and decision-making. With our low attention spans, we need media that has variety and can be changed easily, and music is just that. Not only can music provide more stimulation, but we can also participate in other activities while we are listening to it, which further captures our attention. We show more signs of mental health struggles than other generations, and music can serve as a source of comfort when we feel sad, anxious, stressed or overwhelmed. So, what do you think? Does Gen-Z have more of an attachment to music than previous generations? Do these reasons explain it, or is there something else I’m missing?