I just like what this guy has to say.
From U.S. News:
Ditch the Tunes and Cherish a Moment of Silence
By Gary Kawamura
"Daily Evergreen" (Washington State U.)
02/22/2007
(U-WIRE) PULLMAN, Wash. - The increased use of iPods has been in the news a lot after Sen. Carl Krueger, D-N.Y., proposed a bill to ban the use of electronic devices while crossing many streets in New York. The notion that there would be limits on when you use your iPod may seem unbearable to some, but for me it touches on a much larger issue of why these devices have become so prominent.
People listen to their iPods to escape their mundane lives and to not have to walk in silence. The iPod phenomenon is a result of a fear of silence. It's not just silence - it's a fear of being alone. With our iPods, we can enter the worlds of N'Sync, Michael Jackson or Igor Stravinsky, and ignore the outside world. You probably think that this is a good thing - I disagree. I think the senator might be on to something. The fact that people have been killed by walking into traffic while listening to their iPods seems to illustrate the point that these devices are not only unnecessary, they can be harmful. The idea of uncomfortable silence best explains iPod use. We generally think of uncomfortable silence in terms of conversation, which has given rise to terms like "awkward pause." The logic seems to be that when two people are together they should be talking, and that there is something wrong with silence. When a conversation stops for a moment, the people involved look around uncomfortably. We frequently have a sense of anxiety about the need for conversation; this explains the frequent and meaningless banter about the weather. When parting, friends frequently use the phrase "talk to you later." This shows there is a certain amount of anxiety about the conversation ending, resulting in silence.
However, the outside world of loneliness and silence is not something to be afraid of. It should be embraced and enjoyed. This is humans' normal, natural state of being. Seeking to overcome loneliness and silence through music allows you to avoid the fact you are not comfortable with who you are. The walk to campus, or time spent waiting for class to begin, doesn't have to be boring and arduous. Instead, think about your day, what's happening around you and the color of the sky. Plugging in headphones and cranking up the music expresses a denial of the human experience, implying that it's not good enough, not exciting enough and isn't worth hearing and interacting with.
Of course, the most obvious reason for using an iPod is to listen to music. Another problem with the iPod is that it trivializes music, placing an emphasis on its power to distract and escape reality, rather than capture the beauty and emotion of it. It seems hard to imagine that there was a time when listening to music was a privilege and an event - something that was rare and exciting. I'm certainly not this strict with my listening habits, but the idea of listening to music wherever I go is excessive. I like to listen to music for pleasure and entertainment, not for background noise or distraction.
Just try it for a day. Leave your iPod at home and stay in the real world for a while. You will find that you never really needed it in the first place, and that it seems absurd to go through your day plugged in. When you get home, put on your favorite album. It will never have sounded better.
Copyright 2007 "Daily Evergreen" via CSTV U-Wire
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