Back in ancient times (you know, BiP, before iPod), one technique we used to scope out the interests of new acquaintances was to scour the books and music on their shelves (or lack thereof, as the case may be). I knew anyone who had John McLaughlin’s Extrapolation, or Frank Herbert’s Dune was no doubt going to be a pal.
But in a relatively short period of time, that window into the souls of others has rapidly become invisible. Music libraries are stored on iPods and other devices. And now, with the iPad, Kindle and Nook, even books and magazines are fading from the material, observable world to the more private, digital world.
When was the last time you asked someone, “Hey, can I take a look at your iTunes library?
In some cases, social media fills a portion of this gap. Those who partake can share glimpses into themselves, intentional or not, that can provide some insight to what commonalities we may share. But there is, at this point in the digital revolution, a gap where many have adopted digital media as their preferred method of storing content, but have yet to embrace social media. A visit to their home may reveal some CDs lined up neatly in an unused corner of the room, a layer of dust betraying their long time neglect and obsolescence. What insight does this provide the curious media snooper?
I do not pose an answer here, perhaps this only serves to articulate the question. Years ago, an acquaintance who has since become a very good friend would ask when he saw me, “What did you have for dinner last night?” At the time I took this for either inappropriate curiosity or some evil test of my mental capacity (what did I have for dinner last night?). I realize now, it was a question very much like “what’s in your iTunes library?” It was an attempt to gain insight into who I was as a person.
So perhaps a new etiquette will emerge, one where when meeting new folks we will by default hand over our PDDs (Portable Digital Devices) so they can review each other’s media libraries, and learn more about what common interests we share. Maybe there should be a app for that?
