Although Audio Technologies Have Evolved, the Bonding Aspects of Music Remain

     As I was listening to the people in my class present about their technologies, I noticed a common thread between a few similar ones, specifically, those related to music. The first two inventions we heard about were the radio and the LP record player, and then the second to last invention was headphones. In the radio and LP record player presentations, both technologies had the impact of bonding families. They would cause families to gather around and listen to the radio or the music on the record player together. As record players have become more popular again, they have become a bonding experience between generations as parents will pass the records they've collected down to their children. These are the only two presentations that really emphasized how the technology helped bring people closer. I found that interesting because the more recent music or audio related technologies on which people presented, countered that impact; specifically, the iPod and the headphones

Screenshot showing that you can share
music by following people on Apple Music
(Names and profile pictures have been edited for privacy)

    Both the iPod and the headphones allowed people to listen to music privately even when in public, which is the complete opposite of what the earlier inventions involving music did. Although the more modern music related inventions have allowed listening to music to be an independent activity, music is still something that can be very bonding, especially with music streaming services, which allow people to listen to any song at any time. Before, in order to share music with people, they would either have to be with one another when the song was played, or purchase the record or CD. Now, people can go to Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, or even YouTube and listen to any song that is shared with them. Personally, I love sharing music with people. It's such a good feeling when you think someone may like a song and then they do! With a reported 40,000 songs being added to Spotify every day, there is no shortage or music that can be listened to or shared with others. 

    In conclusion, although new technologies with music have allowed people to listen to music privately, it will continue to be a media that can bond people because of the ability to share it with others and share common interests with it. I think is so because back at the time of the radio and LP record player, these were technologies were ones that people would mainly use in the presence of family and friends, and that correlation between music and family has carried on over the generations so now people still share music with others, just in a way that fits the current technology.