I have thought this about music since the advent of streaming etc. When I was a teenager in the 90s, each year in high school had distinct groups based on musical taste. Some kids banded together because of their love of punk, others metal, others techno or experimental electronica. Each group had a distinct outlook on life and a cohesive community spirit based on the values and ideas expounded by the musical genre. For example, the punks and the grunge kids tended to be cynical, nihilistic etc. while those into goth vibes tended to be introverted and arty. One thing all the groups shared was a love of music and the culture surrounding it, and this something I don’t see as prominently in 2025. Now, music is background fodder. It’s an expendable item, not something that inspires community and togetherness. As a big music fan, this saddens me. The internet has resulted in music’s cultural capital being downgraded to the point where it barely has relevance in the majority of young people’s lives. Only a few decades ago, music’s scarcity meant people valued it more as a cultural commodity. Now, any kid can hear any song he wants, and thus music has lost much of its sparkle in the eyes of young people today.