Music's Role in the Pandemic

AUTHOR: ISABELLA BLOMBERG

This past year and a half has been life changing for the vast majority of the global population. The prevailing pandemic has forced many people to live in confinement, isolated from the world around them due to lockdowns and strict rules on social distancing. This isolation has subjected us to an increased risk of feeling anxious and lonely. This truly unique situation has affected the general mental health negatively. What measures have been taken by individuals to subside the distress caused by this pandemic? Has there been a way to escape?

One tool that numerous people have used to escape their depressing reality is listening to music during their times of long isolation and exile. This behavior can be described as escapism. The word escapism is defined as a “tendency to seek distraction and relief from unpleasant realities, especially by seeking entertainment”. In the field of psychology, the word escapism can have a negative connotation, since it is often correlated to escaping responsibilities and avoiding reality.

However, during the current pandemic, it might have had a more positive significance and impact on people’s mental health. Music, subjective to the one listening, might have let people escape reality, and feel better about the situation.

Music stimulates a range of emotional responses that give rise to the sensations of “chills”. “Chills”can be described as a euphoric response. Brain imaging shows that these ”chills” give rise to a feeling of being rewarded. This feeling is similar to that which arises due to biological stimuli such as sex and food or those that are artificially stimulated by drugs.

Music induces the release of highlevels of neurotransmitters, such asdopamine, which give rise to a rewarding sensation. Activation of the reward system is also correlated to a decrease in brain activity associated with negative emotions. Survival-related stimuli have been strongly correlated with music and thus proved to be biologically relevant when it comes to connections in the brain that are involved with feeling of reward and pleasure.

Studies have shown that listening to music reduces anxiety and improves mental state, which has been of great importance during the past year and a half. Music has been a source of meaningful escapism, where the redirection of the mind has been favourable in the case of well-being, thus showing that the power of music has had an undeniably positive effect.

Do you want to escape your reality or feel less anxious? Well, then this is an encouragement to listen to your favourite song. Even if it is just for a moment, to see if your mood changes. Maybe it will elicit a feeling of reward that might just boost your mood!

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