Has the Digital Age Caused a Behavioral Change In Young People, Creating Limitations in Creativity and Music Production?
The declining cost of computation has made digital technology cost-effective and accessible to individuals all over the world. This includes inhabitants of developing nations and young children in all social classifications (Hampel, 2006). Upon realization of the prevalence of digital technology in society, investigation into the impact of the digital trend should be assessed. In order to qualitatively assess the impact of technology on the youth of society, researchers should investigate possible behavioral changes. Subsequently, some researchers and laypersons consider the digital revolution to be cumbersome to the creative development of today’s youth. Any statement made in one direction or another should always be substantiated by fact. Additionally, it should be noted that advancements in technology has yielded a generation young tech “stars” (i.e Mark Zuckerberg, Jared Hecht, Gauri Manglik, etc.). These creative individuals have harnessed the discoveries of others and have creatively produced innovative new products (Shontell, 2014). In order to analyze the behavioral impact of; present day technology, social media, and celebrity culture, on the creativity of today’s youth, multiple considerations will be qualitatively observed.
In the context of new music researchers will agree that a paradigm shift can be observed, with respect to how music is produced and consumed today (Hampel, 2006). Prior to the digital revolution, musically inclined students were often subject to enduring painstaking lessons that may have been necessary to successfully compose “good” music (Hampel, 2006). A recent shift demanding manufacture of digital music products has yielded an age of “do-it-yourself” musicians. Presently it can be observed that composers, videographers, and artists will typically access the Internet to gather almost any necessary tools, required for composition and/or delivery (Cargocollective.com, 2014). With reservation it is also observed that youth living in current society will follow this Internet based model, based on the success of their favorite celebrity. It should also be noted that celebrity influence should not always be considered as a negative attribute. An individual today may reap thoughts, ideas, and even personal goals from any individual that they choose to “follow” on twitter, Facebook, Instagram, etc. (Statell, 2014).
Determination of the “right” influence will be based on the internal moral beliefs of any one individual (Princeton.edu, 2014). Assessing positive influence may therefore never be generalized and creative production should be considered, when quantifying the level of success for today’s youth (Shontell, 2014).
Furthermore, some may assume that the digital interactions of todays extensive network of social media, yield a depersonalization of relationships. In some cases this will certainly be likely, however proper balance can always exist between Internet use and other activities. In any case, the activities of a child should be carefully monitored for adequate balance (Princeton.edu, 2014).
Research also indicates that proper utilization of technology may in-fact boost musical creativity (Statell, 2014). Subsequently, the youthful musicians of today may realize that they no longer need to grow up and learn the “notes” and “chords” which may be difficult to grasp. Online musical databases and software tools tools such as “Sibelius” and “Quora”, allow young and upcoming musician’s to pick and choose the sounds they deem to be desirable. Young composers may then incorporate these sounds into their piece. Application of Internet use in music is observed in the recent digitization of singing and voice recording. Utilization of: “Autotune”, as a voice processor is extremely prevalent in new and creative pieces (Cargocollective.com, 2014). Celebrities today have capitalized on these technological advancements, which may arguably function to enhance creativity.
In conclusion, determination of the digital age and its impact on the creativity of today’s youth will be purely subjective to the individual and his/her assessment of the pros and cons of technological advancement. An individual, whom may be fond of more classical music and non-digital music, may observe a steady decline in the creative production of this genre by today’s youth. This is further compounded by celebrity activities that appear to capitalize on a more “pop” sound and/or “digital sound”. The impact of social media will spread any current trend, however data which indicates that attributes of social media limit the creativity of youth remains to be generated.
- Cargocollective.com, (2014). Auto-Tune Research Inquiry – Zachary Kaiser. [online] Available at: http://cargocollective.com/intoplace/Auto-Tune-Research-Inquiry
- Hampel, R. (2006). Rethinking task design for the digital age: A framework for language teaching and learning in a synchronous online environment. ReCALL, 18(01), pp.105–121.
- Satell, G. (2014). How Technology Enhances Creativity. Forbes. [online] Available at: http://www.forbes.com/sites/gregsatell/2014/01/27/how-technology-enhances-creativity/
- Shontell, A. (2014). 25 And Under: 20 Hot Young Stars In New York Tech. Business Insider. [online] Available at: http://www.businessinsider.com/15-under-25-in-tech-2011-9?op=1
- Sibelius.com, (2014). Sibelius – the leading music composition and notation software. [online] Available at: http://www.sibelius.com/home/index_flash.html
