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[Joe]

http://www.openculture.com/2015/07/1980s-metalhead-kids-are-all-right.html

Research paper here: http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/15298868.2015.1036918

Did metal enthusiasts have significantly more adverse childhood experiences than other groups?

There were no significant group differences on individual ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experiences) such as having divorced parents, living with an alcoholic or criminal parent, or domestic violence between parents.

Did metal enthusiasts engage in significantly more risky behaviors and life experiences than other groups?

There were no statistically significant group differences regarding whether people had attempted suicide in their youth, their age at first sexual experience, or whether they had a problem with alcohol in their youth. However, it is worth noting that almost one third of groupies had attempted suicide (more than double the rates in all other groups) and they also began sexual activity significantly earlier than musicians, which was the only statistically significant comparison in these analyses.

All metal groups reported using alcohol more regularly in their youth compared to other groups.

Do metal enthusiasts differ from comparisons on adult attachment styles or personality variables?

Groups did not differ on levels of avoidant attachment. Groups did differ on anxious, with LSD (Least Significant Difference) post hoc analyses indicating that students (153 California college students, 21 years old) were significantly more anxiously attached than MACs (Middle-Aged Comparison Group). Groupies had the highest mean scores for anxious attachment of all five groups but these differences were not statistically significant. There were no statistically significant group differences on the personality variables of openness, conscientiousness, agreeableness, or neuroticism. There was a significant group difference on extraversion, with students being lower in extraversion than the other groups. There was also a significant group difference for hypomania, with LSD post hoc analysis showing students as more hypomanic than both metal fans and MACs. Groups differed significantly on sensation seeking—dangerous behaviors, with students engaging in significantly more dangerous behaviors than all other groups except musicians. Groupies had the lowest mean scores on sensation seeking—danger, significantly lower than musicians, MACs, and students, possibly due to their high levels of anxiety. College students also engaged in significantly more sensation seeking—impulsive behaviors than MACs and fans.

Do metal enthusiasts differ in their life satisfaction and current functioning compared to middle-aged non-metal peers or college students?

There were significant group differences in how many days of work were missed in the past month due to mental or physical health problems but these variables were too skewed for even the robust
analyses to compensate. There were no significant differences in how happy the groups
rated themselves on current happiness in life, on a scale of 0– 100. When reflecting back on their youth, the metal groups recalled being significantly happier compared to non-metal groups. Musicians and fans reported being significantly happier in their youth than MACs and students did. In addition, groupies reported significantly more youthful happiness than students. Also, all metal groups were less likely to report having regrets about their youthful experiences, with about one third reporting having regrets, compared to 44.9% of students and 51.3% of MACs. There were also significant group differences for having sought psychological counseling for emotional problems in their lifetimes, with 69.7% of MACS rating highest and musicians rating lowest use, at 20%.
All groups were fairly highly educated. Groups differed on current annual income with musicians making significantly more on average than all other groups, which did not differ from each other, except for the fact that, not surprisingly, students made significantly less than all other groups.

When offered the chance to provide any free-response insights about their youth cohorts,
across all five groups, participants often wrote about the similarities between all
adolescents, the common struggles, and the search for identity. One MAC summed it up by
saying, “the transient emotions of youth may have been short-lived, but they were
incredibly honest ... we all have to go through the fire, each in our own times, if we’re
ever going to forge our true selves.”

 

[Livingskeletons]

Too bad about those 90s metal heads.



Also obligatory:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FDDnuhbDFeY

 

[American Eskimo]

What about poor hearing?

 

[FriedConsole]

Yeah I turned out OK from an 80's metal kid. Mosh pit veteran here. I don't miss my long hair as it was a lot of work to maintain. I don't listen to metal anymore. I don't need an outlet for my stupid middle class suburban of no real problems rage anymore. I got a boring corporate job and do well for myself.

A lot of why I was metalhead is because a kid you got to latch on to some culture to be accepted into a subgroup. A lot of the reason kids today get into anime/Japanophiles, steam punk, indie/hipster culture is for the group dynamic. As a 30+ person I give no fucks about maintaining status in a subgroup.

What about poor hearing?

Yeah I got terrible hearing but that is mostly from playing in metal/rock bands. Ear protection kids.

 

[Jag]

This guy turned out ok.

(I know, it's fake)

 

[Dishwalla]

Aww, they grew up and conformed with society.

 

[Vanillalite]

How metal are we talking here? Just run of the mill shitty hair bands?

 

[Guzim]

Too bad about those 90s metal heads.



Also obligatory:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FDDnuhbDFeY

I would love to know where these people are now.

Edit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ueTZjqxMOh4 whoa!

 

[Splatterpunk]

What about poor hearing?

What about it? Doesn't matter what genre shows you go to, if you're not protecting your ears your at risk for hearing loss.

How metal are we talking here? Just run of the mill shitty hair bands?

They do mention Motley Crue and Poison and stuff, but the person doing the research is apparently the wife of Mike Howe of Metal Church so.. fairly metal.