Listening to Music Alone? Here's What It Says About You

It turns out that even when you listen to music alone with headphones, it has a positive effect on your social connections. A study from the University at Buffalo found that solo music listening can serve as a "social surrogate" and reduce feelings of loneliness.

"It's a great way to give yourself a social boost and enhance your sense of well-being," explains Dr. Elaine Parvati, one of the researchers leading the study published last January in the journal Psychology of Music. The research team, which included Dr. Asha Naidoo and Prof. Shira Gabriel, demonstrated that listening to music alone can address the basic human need for belonging.

According to the researchers, a sense of belonging is a central need in human life, and when there's insufficient connection to others, feelings like anxiety and loneliness can emerge. Alongside traditional methods like meeting friends or family, there are also less obvious strategies to fulfill this need – known as "social surrogates." Listening to music is one of them.

The study identified three main pathways through which music provides social connection:

1. Creation of para-social connections: a one-sided connection between the listener and the artist.
2. Immersion in the musical world: a sense of participating within a musical social space.
3. Reminiscing about close ones: invoking memories of existing relationships.

"Each of these pathways can help us feel less lonely and more connected," says Parvati. "Music creates an emotional bridge between us and the artists, deepens our sense of belonging to the broader world, and sometimes even reminds us of loved ones."

The researchers conducted two experiments: In the first, participants were asked about their use of social surrogates like television shows, alongside listening to music. In the second experiment, they tested the effectiveness of favorite music as a tool to cope with feelings of social exclusion.

"We found that listening to favorite music helped people feel less lonely," explains Parvati. "Its impact was stronger than listening to generic music—possibly because the favorite song fulfills our need for connection and provides a sense of belonging. This work adds another piece to the puzzle showing how small everyday things help us feel more connected and healthier."