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Art in the Age of Idiocracy

No matter the medium, there's something genuinely precious about experiencing art which connects with you on an indescribable level. Whether it be a poem, a painting, a book, a song, or even a joke, the potential power of art on one's being is truly remarkable. In the modern age, however, art has seemed to lose a bit of its luster with the younger generations.

Picture yourself coming home from a long workweek. You come home; grab a glass of wine; and all you want to do is sit in your recliner; and listen to your favorite album. After a few sips of wine, you lay your head back; close your eyes; and allow the music to seep into your pores. A relaxation you haven't felt in what seems like weeks dawns on you, and you feel at peace. It's almost as if the song is being sung directly to you. ...and who's to say it's not? Who's to say this song, this album hasn't placed you at ease after attending twenty meetings over the course of the past five days, and taken you to your happy place? 

The aforementioned experience seems to be lost on millions today. They're more interested in 20-second clips of young adults doing ridiculously stupid stunts on TikTok; of receiving more likes than their friends on Facebook and Instagram; of watching complete strangers cuss out video-game opponents on YouTube than of setting aside all distractions and not only tuning into a work of art, but with that tuning into themselves. 

As the days pass, the need for instant gratification increases. Instead of perusing an art gallery and attempting to become one with the paintings, and let one's imagination run wild with interpretations, many now instead simply Google the painting to see what others have said about it. Instead of listening to a song without expectation and letting it come to you, millions turn to Siri to ask what it may be about. 

When a comedian previews a joke by telling the audience what it's about, how it will be told, and what the intent of it is, it kind of ruins the joke, doesn't it? Laughter tends to diminish when we know what's coming. Well, the same holds true for other mediums. If a person goes into detail about a movie's plot-twists, that ruins the element-of-surprise. If someone specifically describes a shift in sound for the climax of a song, that has a similar affect. So, why is it so many younger people want art spelled out for them? 

In the hypothetical scenario mentioned above, the listener becomes so in touch with the music, he/she feels as though it's being played directly to them. That's one of the greatest powers of art - its ambiguity, relatability, and with that its inclusivity. If this individual explained this moving experience with a younger person today, however, the odds are probably better than 1 in 2 the respondent would say something along the lines of, "Well, actually, that's not what the song is about. I read it on Reddit. So, no, it wasn't being sung for you." It's as if they're so narcissistic and self-righteous, they refuse to allow anyone else to enjoy a work of art for their own personal reasons, because they want it all to themselves. 

In a world that's growing progressively more divided by the minute, why can't we permit people to experience the power and beauty of art in their own unique ways, and allow it to be the unifying force it always has been? Whether we do or don't enjoy a work of art, let's not ruin the experience for others.

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