Emotional Resonance and Identity Recognition in Chinese Late Adolescent Digital Music Consumption

Abstract

This study conducts qualitative research on late adolescent digital music users aged 17-19 to explore their emotional resonance and identities in digital music consumption. The findings indicate that late adolescents are highly dependent on music, with it playing a significant role in their lives, particularly in meeting emotional needs and shaping identities. Late-adolescent digital music users seek to assert themselves through unique and unconventional music tastes. The study also uncovers the coexistence of personalization and socialization in their music-listening behaviors, dividing them into "music-experienced" and "music-socialized" groups. Regarding emotional motivation, the music-experienced group listens to music for personal empathy, while the music-socialized group seeks interpersonal emotional resonance through music-based social interaction. From a practical perspective, this study suggests that the digital music industry should focus on the emotional value generated by music and balance users' personalization and socialization needs.