Page 8 - IAV Digital Magazine #438

iAV - Antelope Valley Digital Magazine
Psychologist: Listening To Christmas Music
Too Early Can Harm Your Mental Health
By Chris Melore
BALTIMORE (WJZ) — Are you one of those peo- ple that can’t stand hearing Christmas songs months before the holiday actually arrives? Does hearing fes- tive carols weeks before Thanksgiving only make you upset that you haven’t eaten your turkey yet? A psychologist in Great Britain says your reac- tions don’t make you a Grinch because too much Christmas music is actually bad for your mental health.
Clinical psycholo- gist Linda Blair claims the constant barrage of Christmas tunes too early in the season forces peo- ple to remember
all the things they have to do before the holiday. Blair says the songs are a reminder to buy presents, cater parties, organize travel, and all the
more stressful chores during Christmas. “You’re simply spending all of your energy try- ing not to hear what you’re hear- ing,” Blair tells Sky News.
The psychologist added that store workers are most at risk for being worn down by the catchy beats. She states that hearing
the same songs over and over each day make workers struggle to “tune it out” and they become “unable to focus on anything
else” “Christmas m usic is likely to irri- tate people if it’s played too loudly and too early,” Blair explained to reporters.
In the U.S., the
mad dash by retail- ers to get con- sumers in the holi- day spirit continues to eat up more of the calendar. The seller’s push, also known as the Christmas Creep, has made some major stores decide to break out the Christmas playlist in the mid- dle of October. According to a sur- vey of top retailers
by the Tampa Bay Times, Best Buy outpaced all other stores by starting their holiday music on Oct. 22.
Danny Turner, a programming executive with Mood Media, told the Timeshe advis- es stores avoid playing novelty or repetitive songs that tend to be more annoying
than cheerful.
“The one I have in mind is The 12 Days of Christmas... Once I’m at the third day, I’m counting how many days are left. You don’t want any songs that feel like they last for 12 days.”
iAV - Antelope Valley Digital Magazine