Metal Music Lovers Thrive Looking Back Years Later – Dave’s Diary

We spent some time on the Morning News talking about this recent study linking Heavy Metal and happiness.  It makes total sense when you think about it.  If you have a group of like-minded people all enjoying their like-minded mutual interest, why wouldn’t they recall the experience as enjoyable and reinforcing on identity. I guess it’s just the subject matter –heavy metal music with its often darker themes- doesn’t naturally lend itself as an option for a “happy place” ! But for fans it is and that’s what the study says.

The new study finds that metal-heads -people who loved metal in the '80s- actually turned out pretty great.

Researchers at Humboldt State University in Arcata, California surveyed nearly 400 adults who were either 80’s metal-lovers, peers who preferred different music, and California college students.

Interestingly they found that metal-heads' recollections of their youth were "significantly happier" than the comparison groups.  Metal-heads also had fewer regrets about their past lives.

So what gave the metal-heads a leg up? Researchers theorize that a "kinship in the metal community”... a way to experience heightened emotions and intense connections with like-minded people...seemed to contribute to their eventual positive identity development.

Scientists concluded that fringe cultures like metal lovers, or computer nerds or other collective groups can serve a protective function for youth. (Newser)

If you weren’t part of that group back in the day, check out the video and see what you missed!