How teenagers use music to deal with emotions
Music can help adolescents cope with stress
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Jacobs Center for Productive Youth Development
We still remember what it felt like to be a teenager: headphones on, the world tuned out, and a song playing on repeat. Music lifted our spirits or pushed us deeper into sadness. It helped us feel understood, especially when it seemed as if the whole world were out to get us.
Today’s teenagers are no different; many of them listen to music to cope with difficult feelings. But does music really help them to feel better? Or could it sometimes make things even worse?
Music helps teens regulate emotions
Music can be a powerful tool for emotional regulation, helping teenagers name, explore, and process their feelings. When young people are sad, overwhelmed, or anxious, they often turn to music that reflects their mood. This can be comforting and make them feel seen and less alone.
“Music can be a powerful tool for emotional regulation, helping teenagers name, explore, and process their feelings.”
Listening to music can reduce stress and anxiety, providing a sense of relief. Physiologically, music can reduce levels of the stress hormone cortisol, slow the heart rate, and calm the nervous system, helping the body shift out of a stress response. At the same time, music activates areas of the brain involved in emotion and reward, offering both comfort and a sense of pleasure.
Music can also give teens a way to make sense of what they’re feeling. Songs can be mirrors that reflect their inner struggles and tools for processing difficult experiences. Over time, musical preferences and playlists may come to be part of a young person’s identity, reinforcing feelings of control and self-understanding during a time of intense change.
What’s more, singing, playing an instrument, or making music in other ways can foster a sense of connection with others, boost self-confidence, and promote emotional resilience. Collaborative music-making creates a shared environment for self-expression, facilitating a depth of connection that spoken language alone may not achieve.
Not all ways of using music are helpful for young people
Still, music may not always be good for mental health. For some teens, especially those already struggling with depression, music may reinforce their sadness or anger. Songs filled with hopelessness, aggression, or self-destruction can pull teens deeper into a negative headspace, especially if they’re already feeling vulnerable. Rather than relieving stress, music then traps teens in cycles of sadness, hopelessness, or anger.
Over time, this could worsen their negative mood, leading them to withdraw socially and increasing the risk of perpetuating depressive symptoms.
How parents and teachers can help teenagers keep music positive
Parents, teachers, and caregivers don’t need to monitor every song or playlist. But they can be curious. Asking about the music teens are listening to, in an effort not to judge, but to understand, can open conversations and foster a deeper discussion about what’s going on emotionally. Creating a safe space for teenagers to explore and express their feelings helps improve their communication skills and makes them better able to regulate their emotions later in life.
“Asking about the music teens are listening to, in an effort not to judge, but to understand, can open conversations and foster a deeper discussion about what’s going on emotionally.”
Caregivers should encourage a mix of music: songs that comfort, songs that energize, songs that inspire. A playlist balanced with a range of emotions can support mental health more effectively than one that is limited to a single mood.
Creating opportunities for active engagement with music—in school choirs, music classes, or informal jam sessions—can also help teens find meaning and connection with others beyond their earbuds. With care and curiosity, we can help make sure music remains a healthy coping tool for teens.
Further readings
• How does music affect physiological arousal and stress-related experiential outcomes?
• Is music listening an effective intervention for reducing anxiety?
• How are different coping styles of music listening related to depression levels among adolescent boys and girls, and how does peer affiliation influence these relationships?
Footnotes
This article is part of a BOLD series of articles written by master’s students in Psychology from the University of Zurich in a seminar on ‘Risk and Protective Factors for Youth Mental Health’ taught and supervised by David Bürgin from the Jacobs Center for Productive Youth Development (JCPYD) of the University of Zurich in the Spring Semester 2025.
Authors
Partner
Jacobs Center for Productive Youth Development