Do you ever feel like the kind of music you listen to influences your quality of life? It does. Most people don’t even realize it. Music is part of our everyday lives and has the potential to change the way you view certain aspects of life. So let’s have a look at how music influences behavior.

1. Music Influences Aggressive Behavior 

What you consume indeed is what you give. In this context, if you are fond of listening to songs with violent lyrics you may develop aggressive behavior in the long run. That is because these kinds of songs provoke aggressive emotions and thoughts. Violent song lyrics also increase hostility without threat or provocation. If you keep listening to search music, you may grow hostile and fast to anger over time. 

2. Music May Escalate Depression 

When feeling depressed most people choose to listen to melancholy music. In most cases, people going through a sad state feel that they connect more to such kind of music. This kind of music however might not be the best remedy to alleviate depression. Previous studies indicate that depressed individuals who listen to sad lyrics only end up feeling worse. If you find yourself weighed down, it’s best not to listen to any songs at all rather than poison your soul further with sad music.

3. Music Influences your Spending Habits

Fast-paced music makes you move fast while slow music makes you move slower. This affects the pace at which shoppers move into a store. When the music is slow, people spend more time browsing through shelves which leads to impulse buying. Soft music at low volume makes you feel at ease and you are likely to spend more time in a store shopping. This is a strategy used by supermarkets and shopping malls to influence shoppers.  On the other hand, places where people need to turn tables fast like restaurants may play fast-tempo music.

4. Music Improves your Productivity and Creativity 

Previous studies on how music influences behavior reveal that people who listen to music while at work are more productive. When soft music is played in the background in workplaces, people tend to work faster and are more creative. It also improves mood and makes repetitive tasks easier. That is because music influences the production of dopamine in the brain. That surge in dopamine creates a happy feeling while working.

5. Music Influences Behavior towards Other People

Music also affects social behavior in a variety of ways. Like you have seen in the first point, violent lyrics may lead to aggressive behavior. Similarly, other forms of music could positively influence your behavior. For instance, classic rock music and sweet-natured comedy tunes are known to lower anxiety and promote compassion.

Bottom-line 

Any form of music you listen to influences your behavior either positively or negatively. Music has the potential to make you more productive at work, feel more sociable and compassionate towards other people or even spend more. If you are fond of listening to negative music however it could also steer aggression. Be cautious of what you listen to.