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Does air pollution influence music sentiment? Measuring music sentiment by machine learning

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  • Guo, Feng
  • Lin, Zhiyuan
  • Lyu, Xiaoliang
  • Shi, Qingling

Abstract

Air pollution has imposed significant negative effects on individuals’ well-being, including citizens’ sentiment levels. To test this claim, we investigate the impact of air pollution on Chinese urbanites’ music sentiments. The analysis is based on a unique dataset of high-frequency music consumption records from a music platform in China from October 13th, 2019 to January 7th, 2020. Using machine learning algorithms, songs on this platform are divided into cheerful songs, melancholy songs and other categories, by which a music sentiment index (MSI) is generated at city-daily level. By matching MSI and daily air quality, this study finds that the MSI declines during highly polluted days, indicating that: on highly polluted days, citizens tend to enjoy melancholy songs over cheerful ones. In addition, this effect becomes more remarkable when the Air Quality Index (AQI) score is above 200, a critical point for “heavily polluted” and “severely polluted” days.

Suggested Citation

  • Guo, Feng & Lin, Zhiyuan & Lyu, Xiaoliang & Shi, Qingling, 2023. "Does air pollution influence music sentiment? Measuring music sentiment by machine learning," Journal of Asian Economics, Elsevier, vol. 87(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:asieco:v:87:y:2023:i:c:s1049007823000374
    DOI: 10.1016/j.asieco.2023.101617
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Air pollution; Sentiment; Music; Machine learning; IV methods;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • Q51 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Valuation of Environmental Effects
    • Q56 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Environment and Development; Environment and Trade; Sustainability; Environmental Accounts and Accounting; Environmental Equity; Population Growth
    • I12 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health Behavior

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