Does heavy metal or rap music lead to suicide? What about gaming?
No. Research shows that when all other risk factors are equal, rap, metal, and video games do not increase risk for suicide–and in fact, for girls at least–the opposite is true (a negative correlation, meaning less likelihood). That being said, teens who listen to metal or more violent rap and teens who spend many hours playing more violent video games tend to have more risk factors for suicide, and may be using music or excessive gaming as an outlet for negative feelings. Thus, excessive gaming or immersion in metal, violent rap, or “death music” might be considered warning signs of problems–though again, gaming and music are not responsible for those problems.
