Use of music streaming platforms for emotion regulation by international students

Listening to music has always been an emotion-laden experience. Early research involving analog platforms showed that people use recorded music as a resource to manage their emotions, enhancing desired affective states and attenuating unwanted states. More recently, technological advances such as streaming services have made an almost-unlimited selection of music ubiquitously available. This paper examines whether this intensified access to recorded music has afforded new ways of shaping emotion. We studied the practices of international university students, a cohort who face significant stresses and make significant use of digital technology. We found that students actively and routinely use music streaming services to manage their emotional responses to the challenges of studying abroad.