Evading Melomania

 

Music.


I thought my media usage was fairly decent- for a college student that is. When you hear about excess media consumption, if you’re like me, your first thoughts tend to go to social media. I even did a media chart, mapping out my daily use (chart below).




This made me feel like I was doing great (obviously there's always room for improvement). What I didn’t realize I needed to include was music- really the most used apps on my phone are Spotify/Apple Music/Pandora.

 

I always have it on- in the background while I study, blasting in the car with my windows down, in my earbuds on campus so I can avoid conversation… my media usage totals went up significantly when I added music. My music isn’t super unclean music or what used to be considered “degenerative” and it isn’t promoting things I morally disagree with…


So why does it matter?

 

Well I realized that most people want music for entertainment, but I was using mine as a filler- not allowing room for silences or allowing myself to think things out, not allowing myself time to just be bored or sit or to not be occupied. It’s a horrible coping mechanism. 

 

Is there such thing as too much music? How much is too much music? Do I need to cut back? I don't have the answers but decided to test it out... my goal is to use music more purposefully. I figure too much of anything can't be good for me. 


My current plan:

  • Limit my exposure- setting times of the day when I can study with music but have other times I study without it. 
  • Recognizing what music media means to me and what music means the most to me- that way what I choose to listen to will only benefit me. 
  • Talk to others- making myself more comfortable in uncomfortable situations. 

Wish me luck!


 

                                                                        Image from: https://community.thriveglobal.com/the-impact-of-music-streaming/

Comments

  1. Brooke's BlogSeptember 24, 2023 at 9:16 PM

    I found your post to be a super intriguing read Kate! I too would like to listen to music with more purpose rather than to make time pass by faster, block out other distractions, or to cure my daily boredom. I greatly think that listening to music in a way that enriches my life could help to improve both my social and mental health.

    ReplyDelete
  2. beckiesSeptember 25, 2023 at 11:46 AM

    Thanks for sharing! I think it is really hard to be introspective and think about why we are doing what we are doing. Thinking about music, there are defiantly times I use it as a way to numb and not think about my problems. I also want to improve by realizing why I am doing what I am and make sure it is helping me rather than limiting me from processing and being present in my life.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Briella SmithSeptember 25, 2023 at 11:54 AM

    This was really interesting to read! Honestly, I had the same thought while we were talking about this in class. Music does not come to my mind when I think of media but it is probably one of the forms of media that impacts us the most. I also really like that you saw a pattern and then created a plan that will potentially make you happier. I really like making goals and found this post very inspiring.

    ReplyDelete
  4. adelaideSeptember 25, 2023 at 7:35 PM

    I love this!! I like how you said that you are evaluating what music really means to you. I agree! I feel like music has always been much more of a filler thing for me, but it does not have to be that way. I think it is wise to be intentional about everything, even down to music. It really helped me reconsider how I use music! Thanks for sharing!!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Kayla SandersOctober 2, 2023 at 4:15 AM

    I enjoyed reading your post and think it gives an important perspective about music also being an impactful form of media. I especially appreciated that you pointed out the importance of being intentional in how we use music in our lives and to use it in such a way as to enhance life. It has helped me to think about my own usage. Thanks for sharing and good luck!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Hidden Agendas?

Image
 The affect our feeds have on us is INSANE. When talking about the change and evolution of media, it made me think of all the times my mom had mentioned what she had done "back in her day"...  We've all heard this but hear me out.  The high rates of depression and anxiety.  The addiction.  The polarization.  The radicalization.  The outrage.  The increase of vanity.  These things have never been seen like it's being seen now. We are overpowered.  I learned from this great movie on Netflix called The Social Dilemma about the things large tech companies are doing to tailor our feeds (ads, responses, answers to questions, notifications, etc.) to us individually and what that does to our psyche. Modern media.... It's horrible.  Something expressed that will stick with me is the simple statement that these programs were not generated by child psychologists who want us to grow developmentally and progressively. So what are the motives?  Algorithms are not objective- t
Read more

Media & Religion

Image
Popular Christian religious visual media has had an important effect on the cultural transmission of Christianity by indirectly and directly promoting important government ideals to viewers in the United States. Christian television shows and movies are especially prominent. Popular examples include The Chosen , Miracles from Heaven , A Week Away , and Murder Among the Mormons .  Spreading of Religion through Cultural Transmission Who consumes visual Christian media and why? Let’s look through the lens of uses and gratifications research , which claims that people consume specific media to meet specific needs that they themselves can identify.  In the book “Religious television, controversies and conclusions,” authors Robert Abelman and Stewart M. Hoover state, “Audiences tend to be self-selecting. They already believe, turning to religious broadcasting for confirmation of those beliefs.” In other words, Christian believers use visual religious media to gratify their desire for furthe
Read more

Evolution of Media

Image
Media has grown so much over time and it's fun to look back and see where we've come from.  We grew from the prehistoric age to the industrial age, electronic age, and now the digital age. From newspapers to landlines to smartphones. Man the digital age is something. The world’s first electronic television was made by Philo Farnsworth in 1927. His system used a cathode-ray tube and was able to capture moving images using a beam of electrons. The CRT screen allowed for a better picture, which, in turn, helped television become adopted by the public.  After that, television took off . The mediums became widespread throughout the United States, commercial television networks began to flourish, and color came into the picture in 1951. The growth led to the development of movies, television shows, and more. We've grown a lot since the 50's. Now we have mobilized computers in laptops. Now we have green and blue text bubbles determining who we want to talk to. This is a real
Read more