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Does Music Make Life Better?

Survey suggests that for most older people, it's true

spinner image Mature woman listening to music with headphones
While music appears to be a motivator for the majority of people, it was particularly high for older Americans.
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It looks like an old adage might be true: For many people, music really does make life better.

More than 70 percent of Americans age 45 and older say music has helped them through a difficult time in their lives, according to a survey published earlier this month by market research and data analytics firm YouGov.

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The findings were part of a broader survey on the question that found little disparity in most demographic groups. Among all age groups, 71 percent said they agreed that music had helped them through a difficult time in their lives.

However, the percentage shaded upward among older groups: 67 percent of those age 18 to 24 said music has helped them at a difficult time in their lives, compared with 72 percent of those age 55 and older and 71 percent of those 45 to 54.

The survey was taken in early December of 5,656 U.S. adults. The results were weighted to be representative of the U.S. population as a whole, according to YouGov.

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