When Your Music Rules Your Life

By Lily Ronney

It is starting to become common that a student at El Segundo High cannot walk down a hall, into a classroom, or past a group of friends without seeing someone listening to music. Throughout the day, students are frequently asked if they have an extra CD player, CD, set of headphones or batteries.

Music starts to become a problem when a person goes through their day waiting to catch another song from their favorite artist, rather than accomplishing anything else that day. When a person's life revolves around getting the next CD from American Idol’s Kimberly Locke, or if the next song played on KROQ is Evanescence’s “My Immortal,” or any song by Jet, a simple enjoyment of music becomes mania.

People tend to follow the ideals of their music, and many who listen to one type of music have several similarities in personal characteristics. Senior Hannah Hepworth states, “You can always tell what kind of person someone is by their music taste.” She also believes “There are other aspects to life rather than the type of music a person listens to.” A person’s taste in music gives them character, but it should not run their life. Junior Meghan O’Hara agrees, and believes “people shouldn’t base their lives upon what their favorite artist thinks, they should stay true to their own morals.”

The fixation ranges from those obsessed with rap to others who are obsessed with heavy metal, to those interested in music from the past. Almost no one is exempt from the plague of musical over-appreciation; Goths, preps, athletes, and basically every person in between has their type of music, and they listen, listen, listen.

Music among teenagers seems to now be nearing the realm of obsession. While everything is good in its proportional moderation, for some, their lust for music has started overwhelming the rest of their lives. Whatever happened to reading a book, walking your dog, or going out with your friends, not to be interrupted or bombarded by music?