Seeking Authentic Media in a Digital Landscape
Document Type
Event
Faculty Mentor
Daniel Panici
Abstract
In a culture defined by instant streaming and algorithmic playlists, listening to music has increasingly shifted towards speed, convenience, and passive consumption. This presentation examines the resurgence of vinyl record players, particularly among younger listeners to reveal a cultural and personal pushback against the automation of music, and by extension, digital media. Drawing from personal experience alongside media theory, I examine how the record player reinforces a ritual of listening that focuses on control, attention, and emotional engagement with music. Unlike the streaming platforms that encourage immediate skipping, multitasking, and computational decision-making, the record player imposes material and temporal constraints that require presence and commitment on behalf of the listener. These limitations transform the act of listening to music into an embodied practice that demands care, attentiveness, and active participation. Engaging with Rebecca Tuhus-Dubrow’s discussion of earlier audio technologies, as well as Caeitlin Benson-Allot’s concept of media distance, this talk contrasts the intimacy of the record player to the detachment of listening promoted by digital media. The record player creates a distinct form of private space, one rooted in physical and emotional boundaries rather than portability. Though active engagement, auditory imperfections, and ritualized listening, the record player fosters a slower and more reflective relationship with music. I argue that this return to analog media reflects a broader cultural desire for intentionality, authenticity, and mindfulness in an era of constant digital stimulation. In choosing to listen to music differently, the record player challenges the structure of digital consumption, reclaiming music as an experience to be felt rather than consumed.
Seeking Authentic Media in a Digital Landscape
In a culture defined by instant streaming and algorithmic playlists, listening to music has increasingly shifted towards speed, convenience, and passive consumption. This presentation examines the resurgence of vinyl record players, particularly among younger listeners to reveal a cultural and personal pushback against the automation of music, and by extension, digital media. Drawing from personal experience alongside media theory, I examine how the record player reinforces a ritual of listening that focuses on control, attention, and emotional engagement with music. Unlike the streaming platforms that encourage immediate skipping, multitasking, and computational decision-making, the record player imposes material and temporal constraints that require presence and commitment on behalf of the listener. These limitations transform the act of listening to music into an embodied practice that demands care, attentiveness, and active participation. Engaging with Rebecca Tuhus-Dubrow’s discussion of earlier audio technologies, as well as Caeitlin Benson-Allot’s concept of media distance, this talk contrasts the intimacy of the record player to the detachment of listening promoted by digital media. The record player creates a distinct form of private space, one rooted in physical and emotional boundaries rather than portability. Though active engagement, auditory imperfections, and ritualized listening, the record player fosters a slower and more reflective relationship with music. I argue that this return to analog media reflects a broader cultural desire for intentionality, authenticity, and mindfulness in an era of constant digital stimulation. In choosing to listen to music differently, the record player challenges the structure of digital consumption, reclaiming music as an experience to be felt rather than consumed.
