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Jason, your words certainly resonate with this reader.
I too remember fondly those evenings and late nights spent under the influence enthralled by the latest Zappa, Yes or Mahavishnu masterwork. Oh....and of course reading Be Here Now! The shared experience adding to the journey. I'm glad to say that we still have our musical evenings...actually I have the crew coming over for some sonic fireworks later this week!
As you so elequently noted what is interesting is the connection to our societal ills bought on by this introspective world we find ourselves inhabiting.
Headphones are just one indicator but more obvious is the rise of our Facebook/Twitter driven lives. This is the potential end of our socializing in any personal and direct way.
I remember just 30 years ago living in Malta with no phone, TV or obviously internet. You wanted to speak to someone...you went over to their house! How amazing is that!
Now people are too lazy to even pick up a phone prefering AIM or text to any first person contact. This, in my opinion, is the begining of the end. Not only are we insulated from each other by the ability to conect "vitually" but this indirect contact allows for more strident and confrontational behaviour as we feel protected by the medium and virtual distance from the other party.
I recommend anyone interested in this subject to read the short story written in 1909 by E.M. Forster entitled The Machine Stops. Amazingly he predicts both instant messaging and the internet nearly 100 years prior to it's introduction to our society. No computers then! The story is increadibly prescient and quite frightening given what we can now see happening as a result of these technologies.
I now live on another island where personal contact is the norm not the exception. We visit friends or have people here almost every day. And listening to music is a vital part of these social gatherings. Long may it continue!
and.......Be Here NOW!