In today's world you no longer think of music you think of iPods. They are an extension of our bodies and people rarely leave their houses without their iPods in their pocket and their earphones in their ears. It is as though they are an item of clothing that people put on in the morning to create who they are, their identity, and how they see the world, their subjectivity.
Embodiment refers to our bodies being the most important aspect in our existence in the world. Without our bodies we are nothing. With the new media how we view our bodies has changed and transformed. For iPod users their iPods are as imporatnt to their existence as their bodies. Their iPods have become an extension of their body that allows them to exist in the world. Just as we can dress our bodies in clothing that suits our image and lifestyle so we use iPods as an "item of clothing" that can enhance our identity and not only affect how others see us, but how we see ourselves as well as how we see the world.
For example when we are walking down the street listening to a particular song on our iPod this can affect our mood and therefore how we relate to our environemnt around us. iPods have become such a large part of our lives that they ultimatelly play a part in who we are. People define themselves by the type of music they like and what image is associated with that music. iPods play such an influential part in our daily lives from the morning, travelling to work, to the evening, going for a run, and therefore it is justified to say that they have become an extension of our bodies and therefore affect how we exist in the world today.
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3 comments:
I agree that the iPod has become a part of who we are in the world and that it can help us to shape the kind of image we project of ourselves to those around us. However, I feel it’s unfair to say that only now with the introduction of mp3’s and iPods that music has started to influence our lives. For many people music has always played a part in what kind of person they are and how they see the world, it has directed people as to how they should dress and act for decades. If a person listens to heavy metal it is usually an indication of what kind of an attitude they have towards the world and how they dress. iPods have only made the displaying of our image to people easier and more user friendly.
I would agree, iPod's certainly do play a major role in many peoples lives!
One of the most common questions that a person will ask another in 'small talk' conversations is, "So what music do you like?" With this in mind, what we listen to certainly is an increasingly more important element of how we define ourselves.
With regard to music defining our mood, it is absolutely true that a song can create mood and develop ones personal feelings. It must be said, however, that these feelings are usually based on personal experience and personal connotations that are associated with that particular song.
Another problem that has developed with constant listening to music, that you describe, is that people isolate themselves from the world around them. They create moods, feelings, and whole new world for themselves in their isolated bubble of music.
I completely agree with the title of your post. iPods really have become an item of clothing. They also define who we are and how we construct our identity.
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