Has music become a replacement for conscious thought in today's youth?

[Yeager942]

I know what you mean. The only thing on my ipod is movies because I get sick of songs so fast.

 

[Danny Ocean]

I have, as they say on the internet "added it to my cart"

I look forward to reading it.

I finished it a day or so ago, so a lot of it has dropped from my mind. Was a great read, though. It makes all those old grouches sound quite a bit more sane. Hell, I even empathise with them now!

It's the first of a big pile (13) of books I'm reading through.

Spoiler: List.

Age Of Absurdity- Done
Freakonomics- Current
Why Not Socialism?
Brave New World- Re-reading from long ago
Smile or Die
Winning Arguments
Deep Economy
The Spirit Level
Prosperity Without Growth
The New Economics
The Dream Of Reason
Das Kapital- From the school library
Philosophy and Philosophers- From the school library.

It's going to take a while. Curse these exams!

 

[Death on Trapezoids]

They're intent on making themselves deaf so they don't have to listen to their parents.

 

[brunothepig]

If your friend is a Metalhead, then I can certainly comment on that. I'm the same. First, Metal means everything to a metalhead. Seriously, it helps me concentrate, I always do homework/study at home with music and I do better. Plus there's this amazing feeling when listening to Metal.
He probably is also listening to the music, it isn't that hard to do. I know, cause I do it too.
You may not really like music, but don't doubt others love for it. And I'm not just talking about metalheads. I'm just vouching for them because I know it's more than "just music" to us.
I have various songs by bands I've been listening to for years. I'm sure I would have heard some songs hundreds of times... I'm not sick of them. I'll never be sick of them.
Look, you probably won't ever quite understand this, because you don't listen to a lot of music. I would advise looking for some music you love, but I know some people just don't like music. Anyway, it's not that big a deal.

 

[zHellas]

The human mind is designed to seek out patterns. Music is nothing more than audio patterns. It pleases the mind.

It's that simple really.

Or they have nothing else to do and are just trying to pass the time.

 

[SturmDolch]

I only listen on the bus and sometimes when walking around (and only in places I feel safe). Otherwise, I want to be aware of my surroundings. And I like thinking, but I usually end up doing that on the bus, too, and tuning out the music. Then I have to start the song over.

I don't talk to people if they have an earphone in or something. That's just stupid. Either listen to me or listen to your music. I can't believe it's possible to do both.

Other than that... It's cool to do it? What's the worst is the people walking around with the giant headphones. Yeah, you look real cool.

 

[Eggsnham]

Thoughts?

Music is the one thing in the world that can take any one emotion, thought, action, verb, noun, adjective, apple, orange and banana; and make it something that's worth listening to.

Like you said, you're not a huge fan of Music, but that doesn't mean that listening to it is unnatural.

I find your rant a little disturbing, as it's shockingly similar to what many people say about gamers and videogames.

"Videogames are just a way to escape life and be robots!"

I can understand your point, but like I would say to an anti videogame journalist: If you've never experienced the joy that people get from it, that you want to dump excessive hours into it; then I don't think that your voice really counts on this topic.

Of course, that's just my two cents.

EDIT: From Accursed Theory (I didn't bother hitting the quote button, as he doesn't need to get involved unless he'd like to)

"The human mind is designed to seek out patterns. Music is nothing more than audio patterns. It pleases the mind.

It's that simple really"

That about sums up my part of the debate, this was what I was trying to say, and this fellow summed it up perfectly. Maybe I should have hit the quote button? To let him know that he completes this post. Ah, well.

 

[Pimppeter2]

I have, as they say on the internet "added it to my cart"

I look forward to reading it.

I finished it a day or so ago, so a lot of it has dropped from my mind. Was a great read, though. It makes all those old grouches sound quite a bit more sane. Hell, I even empathise with them now!

It's the first of a big pile (13) of books I'm reading through.

Spoiler: List.

Age Of Absurdity- Done
Freakonomics- Current
Why Not Socialism?
Brave New World- Re-reading from long ago
Smile or Die
Winning Arguments
Deep Economy
The Spirit Level
Prosperity Without Growth
The New Economics
The Dream Of Reason
Das Kapital- From the school library
Philosophy and Philosophers- From the school library.

It's going to take a while. Curse these exams!

Thats a great list, I myself am currently in the process of reading Brave New World. I'll add some more of those to my list. "Why Not Socialism?", "Age Of Absurdity", and "Winning Arguments" sound great. I'm looking into them now.

If you're ever in the need of a good book, Isaac Cronin's Confronting Fear: A History of Terrorism ... [http://www.amazon.com/Confronting-Fear-Terrorism-Isaac-Cronin/dp/1560253991] is very informative on the subject, though a bit too bland sometimes. But it gave me insight on the current state of affairs in the Middle East much more than the class I took on the subject did. And if you're looking into something a bit more fun to read, Lone Survivor [http://www.amazon.com/Lone-Survivor-Eyewitness-Account-Operation/dp/0316044695/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1272583148&sr=1-1] is a delight and a true story, especially the first couple of chapters where he details how he became a Navy Seal and how hard the process is. (If you can stand a bit of Texas bravado he sometimes goes into too much). The story is simply fantastic.

 

[Pimppeter2]

Thoughts?

Music is the one thing in the world that can take any one emotion, thought, action, verb, noun, adjective, apple, orange and banana; and make it something that's worth listening to.

Like you said, you're not a huge fan of Music, but that doesn't mean that listening to it is unnatural.

I find your rant a little disturbing, as it's shockingly similar to what many people say about gamers and videogames.

"Videogames are just a way to escape life and be robots!"

I can understand your point, but like I would say to an anti videogame journalist: If you've never experienced the joy that people get from it, that you want to dump excessive hours into it; then I don't think that your voice really counts on this topic.

Of course, that's just my two cents.

There's a difference between using it to have fun and to enjoy it, and what I'm getting at. Thats the main difference between the anti-game movement and my topic. I don't care if you're listening to music all day because you love it, what I do care about is the people that have become so attached to it that they can't function without it. Or people that treat their Ipods like a drug.

This applies to people that do this with gaming as well, but they're just a significantly less amount of people that do this

 

[Stevo_s]

Ergo, I believe that this has become some sort of disgusting habit. Frankly I find it unnatural to have music pumped into your brain every single day for more than 3 hours a day. It?s sickening to have music blasted into your head constantly. It a way of blocking off mental awareness and consciousness. Music is a form of escapism; but it become like a magical get away drug for today?s youth. I find this no healthier than those MMO players that play WoW for 20 hours a day or what not.

The thing is cases like the above mentioned excessive gaming are far rarer than this. Take a look around. Almost every teen is doing this. And this level of Escapism is disturbing.

Thoughts?

I'm not that bad, maybe, at most two hours a day for me. But I know what you mean one of my friends always has one ear-bud plugged in.

The only thing I think unnatural in it though, is that, your having other peoples imagination, creativity, mood, whatever constantly in your brain. It might be as you say replacing their own creativity, influencing their conscious.

But hell there might be some upsides to it.

 

[rewood4]

You just realized those people don't have ANY songs on their iPod, and simply bought it to have an excuse to constantly have headphones in when walking in public.

 

[Tanto-chan]

I suppose you could call music a drug if you want to give it a negative connotation. me personally i only really listen to my ipod (named Isabel) when I'm driving or when I need white noise to read a book (which isn't often) but that doesn't mean that there isn't music playing in my head 24/7. cause there is. right now it's Coheed and Cambria's Ten Speed and still it's BGM for my life. The only difference between ur friends and me is that they need the ipod. I have music memory. <3

Music = Life

 

[xthetenth]

As somebody who does exactly what you say (other than when I'm talking to people, that's just rude), I can tell you exactly why I listen to music most of the day and have listened to the same song on repeat hundreds of times in a single day (although if I do that, I quickly get bored of it). It's because it allows me to encourage the mental and emotional state I feel I should be in, and I see no reason why doing so is in any way not beneficial to me and by extension everybody around me. It's part of the reason I'm usually extraordinarily calm and it allows me to focus on my work better than anything else. It allows me a very good means of controlling my emotional state, which is a good thing in every single way I can think of, all for the price of a bit of background noise. I have found nothing better at encouraging me to focus and remain calm, and if you see anything wrong with that, then I have to ask what's wrong with putting more control in the hands of the rational parts of my mind, something I have found to be entirely beneficial.

 

[Lord Krunk]

I listen to music when going from Point A to Point B, and that's pretty much it. It passes the time, but I'm not sure I know anyone quite like that.

 

[Marter]

I listen to music to kill time, and usually only when I'm on a spare or coming/going from/to school. I don't really like talking to people as they listen to music, as there will always be a point where I'll have to repeat myself. I really dislike repeating myself.

 

[CZS PublicEnemy]

This is something that?s been bothering me for a long time, what the fuck is the deal with music? In the past, I?ve admitted to not being much of a fan of music, only listening to the odd song like Push it to the limit [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BhsTmiK7Q2M&feature=related] when I can remember to bring it to the gym for one of my more grueling work outs. I do own an Ipod, with about 1,000 songs on it or something, and listen in only rarely.

But can someone answer me why people listen to their IPods all damn day? Out of those 1,000 something songs, there?s only about 20 that I like to listen to more than once in a day, so I get bored of my IPod real fast. But on any given school day, with any one of my friends, they all have at least one head phone in their ears all the goddamn time.

From in class, to study halls, to passing periods; what the fuck are people listening too all day? You may have 4,000 sounds, but I don?t think its humanly possible to want to hear any given song on at any given time. I mean, surely you have favorites like me, and listen to them most of the time. A friend of mine recently told me that in class his IPod has recorded that he?s listened to a song something like 800 times. No matter how much you like a song, I cannot find possible. How many times can you possibly listen to a group of songs, no matter how large?


Kids are doing homework while listen to music. Working out while listening to music. Gaming while listening to music. Sleeping to music being blasted in their ears. Doing chores while listening to music. Driving while listening to music. All in a single motherfucking day.

It?s like being a fucking robot. My best friend, for one, sits next to me in math while listening to music and doing his homework. Blasting whatever metal band he?s into, talking to me, and doing his work at the same time. No fucking way he?s paying attention to the music. Its just there, blasting away.


So this brings me to my next point. I have ?proven? that people are not actually listening to the songs. I mean, I?ve had discussions with people that have one ear phone in their head, unless they?re all ubermensch, I cannot accept that they?re listening to the song like they normally would and be holding conversations.

I?ll be walking down the hall talking to a friend, who?s eager for us to stop talking so that he can plug in his headphones. It's like a fucking drug. And it?s not just with me, but when we?re in groups as well. A sick sort of escapism that lets you not think by blasting music in your head constantly? I believe that people are listing to their Ipods all day to avoid conversations. Not just because they like music, its impossible to be so attached to music to do this all day, all year


Ergo, I believe that this has become some sort of disgusting habit. Frankly I find it unnatural to have music pumped into your brain every single day for more than 3 hours a day. It?s sickening to have music blasted into your head constantly. It a way of blocking off mental awareness and consciousness. Music is a form of escapism; but it become like a magical get away drug for today?s youth. I find this no healthier than those MMO players that play WoW for 20 hours a day or what not.

The thing is cases like the above mentioned excessive gaming are far rarer than this. Take a look around. Almost every teen is doing this. And this level of Escapism is disturbing.

Thoughts?

Hmm you sound tense. Maybe some music could help cool you down? lmao But nah, if you're getting so pissed about it? Why ask on a forum? Why not ask your friends or the people at your school, since they're the ones that piss you off so much?

 

[Pimppeter2]

Hmm you sound tense. Maybe some music could help cool you down? lmao But nah, if you're getting so pissed about it? Why ask on a forum? Why not ask your friends or the people at your school, since they're the ones that piss you off so much?

Not really pissed, more "confused".

Ohh, and there's this precious thing about the internet that is the reason why I posted it here. Can't put my finger on, other than, ohh yea.. It's the anonymity

 

[ClassicJokester]

Music is a big part of my life (I usually spend about 3 hours a day playing music), but even I can't listen to music constantly. If I'm talking with someone, I can't have headphones in. If I'm writing, music with lyrics is out the window. Playing a game? Unless the game has it's own music, or is something like (relatively) simple, like Tetris, I can't listen to music.

Now the reason for all of this is simply that I think music is important. If I'm going to seriously listen to music, then that's what I'm going to do. I can't multitask if one of the tasks is music. An analogy to explain this would be like someone driving down the street, but also training an uncooperative cat to iron their shirts at the same time. I just can't do it.

I do agree with the OP in that it's weird to me when people are just walking around all day with headphones in, because there is sound other than music that is worth hearing. I usually ride my bike with music, but sometimes it's nice to ride without, and listen to the world.

 

[CZS PublicEnemy]

Hmm you sound tense. Maybe some music could help cool you down? lmao But nah, if you're getting so pissed about it? Why ask on a forum? Why not ask your friends or the people at your school, since they're the ones that piss you off so much?

Not really pissed, more "confused".

Ohh, and there's this precious thing about the internet that is the reason why I posted it here. Can't put my finger on, other than, ohh yea.. It's the anonymity

Well since you have gone with the forum route. Try not being a prick to people posting on it.

 

[elvor0]

-snip-

I like to listen to music? Is that such a massive revelation? If nothing is going on, I like listening to it, i'll do it in the car on the way to work, doing homework, reading, playing games, whenever I feel it's appropriate.

I don't see how not wanting to sit in silence or boredom, makes me less intelligent, or following some sort of teen trend that you've invented. The sheer ire you address the matter with also surprises me.

I have A LOT of music, and I do mean A LOT, in the region of 60GB. I do tire of listening to some of it, but I have other things to listen to, it goes on a cycle, and there's classics which I'll never tire of listening to like Rust in Peace or Peace Sells.

Maybe you just listen to chart music or something stuff people tire of after a week, I don't know, but I don't see how you can be "disgusted" about people liking listening to music. Or maybe you just can't divert you attention between two things at once "there's no way he's listening to the music" is a ridiculous statement, it's called having it as a secondary or tertiary thing. Like speaking to friends and listening to it, or gaming with some friends and having it in the backgrounds, you're still listening to it, unless you're actively trying to filter it.

Just because you don't really like music (As you stated in the OP), doesn't mean everyone else is mental.