Are there any precise well being advantages to being a Taylor Swift fan, asks Sheilagh Foley?
My little one is obsessed, fixated, and hooked on the psychological meanderings of a 34-year-old girl, who says issues like – “It’s me. Hello. I’m the issue, it’s me.”
Within the mornings, I do know my daughter has woken up once I hear the strains of Taylor Swift floating via the floorboards and sinking into the kitchen beneath. She has shaped a Swiftie Membership with different diehard followers in her class at college, they usually spend their breaktime dissecting songs. Her playdates have revolved round choreographing dance numbers to Tay Tay’s music and plenty of a night has been spent designing bracelets with album names.
Changing into a ‘fan’ appears to be a part of the human expertise, in some unspecified time in the future, most individuals have taken an curiosity in a specific sports activities group (COYS – Ed), entertainer, creator, TV present, interest, and many others.
However are there any precise well being advantages to being a fan? Specifically, a Taylor Swift fan?
It’s fairly exceptional to suppose that music exists in each tradition. It’s clearly useful to the human race. It helps enhance temper, reduces stress and boosts vanity. It’s usually an integral a part of any celebration, or certainly, unhappy event. It may be listened to alone or in teams. An individual may even create music with their our bodies (if that conjures up a picture of schoolboys burping in time to the radio, apologies – I imply that people are wired as much as sing).
Fashionable music usually offers with themes younger folks wrestle to navigate corresponding to love, friendship, and self discovery – these are Taylor Swift’s bread and butter. There are research to indicate that listening to sure kinds of music can decrease your cortisol and coronary heart charge, due to this fact, an obsession with music seems to be a constructive power.
However fandom normally goes past the providing and into the individual making the provide. My daughter is excited by what Taylor has to say, she is interested by with whom Taylor chooses to encompass herself, what’s she carrying, what does she like/dislike, who has been imply to her and why (there’s a listing, it begins with Ok).
Swift aligns herself with many social causes which come via in her songs and movies that movement into my little one’s creating thoughts. One in every of which is ‘Woman Energy’ and modern-day feminism. She says ‘No’ to bullies, believes in pursuing your goals, and being variety to all (though, if pushed, her ‘mad love’ will flip to ‘dangerous blood’). She can also be very respectful to her dad and mom, particularly her mom, a most cancers survivor.
Among the many perfection, there’s a threat that Taylor is one umbrella swing away from a Britney breakdown. The life she portrays is sort of distinctive, and will likely be largely unattainable to these hoping to develop as much as develop into the subsequent massive factor. However total, I discover her to be a constructive feminine function mannequin.
Communities can kind out of the love of superstar. It might appear asinine to the outsider however the social connection is usually a lifeline for some, particularly those that wrestle with life in the true world. I can bodily see my daughter bonding with different mates over their shared love of this country-pop-indie-folk sensation. When the bloom is off the rose (sorry Taylor, it occurs to us all), it received’t undo the bond my little one could have cast. Having one thing in widespread, even a previous dependancy, is usually a robust connector. Any Strawberry Shortcake followers on the market, you realize what I’m talkin’ bout.
Physique picture is one thing I’m keeping track of (not for me, that ship has sailed!) however as my daughter turns into a pre-teen I do know the strain to look a sure means will begin to seep in. Taylor Swift had an consuming dysfunction previously, she talks brazenly about it and promotes physique positivity.
She jumps across the stage in knee-high boots and a few form of leotard – is that this as a result of she is physique constructive or as a result of she is skinny and delightful and perpetuating an unrealistic magnificence normal? At her live shows she additionally wears lengthy flowing clothes and pretends to be a snake, so maybe the outfits might be seen as a part of the showmanship.
Or is she merely throwing her “22” hat within the ring for an Olympic tryout? She dances and sings for 3 hours straight, no assist acts. That’s an Olympic effort proper there.
There are additionally some apparent bodily advantages to listening to your favorite singer – together with the cardiovascular exercise from the dancing, and the endorphin launch that comes with the joy of live shows and new songs.
Nonetheless, can a wholesome curiosity develop into unhealthy?
In fact, any type of obsession has downsides. The elusive live performance tickets for Taylor Swift price an arm and a leg (which could clarify why certainly one of her stage outfits is lacking each an arm and a leg). The strain on dad and mom of younger followers, not solely to search out the cash, however to discover a ticket, is immense.
Is it even sensible to have hundreds of younger folks packed right into a stadium that may barely maintain them? If there’s an emergency, are these minors geared up to stroll to the closest exit in an orderly vogue? I say this as a father or mother who has offered her soul to get tickets. I’m clearly keen to take the chance as I feel the live performance will likely be a once-in-a-lifetime occasion (and I’m positive my daughter will prefer it too).
My 10-year-old awoke at 3 am the morning Taylor’s album dropped at 5 am. The early begin is outrageous for a lot of causes. I wish to see my child enthusiastic about one thing, nevertheless it shouldn’t contain the entire home waking up earlier than daybreak – Swift isn’t any Santa. (Though, in her coronary heart is a “Christmas Tree Farm”)
Being a fan of one thing could make you a goal for teasing. Or on the flip facet, speaking about your obsession with fellow obsessives could make others really feel overlooked.
If I take a look at Taylor Swift objectively, I just like the minimize of her jib (even when it’s lacking an arm and a leg!). She is gifted, she writes her personal songs, she has a very good head on her shoulders, and he or she places out good messaging for her followers.
I’m not satisfied there’s any main bodily well being profit to being a fan, or main drawback to not being one. There are some issues to bear in mind – it might probably enhance your psychological well being, promote bonding, may get you singing and dancing, however be cautious of price, herd mentality, and the way messages are being interpreted.
You may marvel ‘Why does it matter if Taylor Swift is sweet in your well being?’ Maybe you’ll be able to’t abide her or don’t know who she is? To place it merely – she’s a Nashville singer who blows up the economic system of each nation she excursions in. Should you haven’t heard of her but, you quickly will.
“Who’s afraid of little previous me? You have to be”– [from the Tortured Poets Department]. 
