What do you listen to when you’re in the car? Do you put on your favorite podcast, or connect your Spotify playlist? Or do you simply just turn up the volume on a random radio station?
Teenagers today would likely say no to the latter. With apps like Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon music, you can access any song you want. Why would you ever listen to a song you have never heard on the radio? Most teens will not be listening to 95.7FM over their Fall Vibes playlist.
According to an article from Variety, a study from New York University’s Steinhart Music Business Program found that the number of teenagers who self-reported listening to AM/FM radio declined by almost 50% between 2005 and 2016.
Why are teens so opposed to the radio? The decision to listen to music on apps like Spotify stems from having control. Teens prefer to listen to the music they know that they like.
“With music from my phone, I can pick what I listen to. With radio, I don’t really have a choice. A lot of times it’s something I don’t want to listen to,” said Gavin Cook, junior.
It is also hard to find a good radio station. Most stations play the hits of the week, so if you are not into those, then you will not enjoy what’s on the radio.
“I think the radio music is not really the best. It’s just kind of random top songs,” said Macy Reid, junior.
Additionally, radio stations have DJs, so in between songs, the DJ may give unwanted commentary that takes away from the experience. Radio stations also make revenue off of advertisements, so every few songs an ad interrupts your listening experience. For teens who pay for no ads on Spotify Premium or Amazon Music Unlimited, choosing their music over the radio is easy.
Teens also prefer listening to music from their phones to enhance the atmosphere in the car.
Angie Mejia, senior, said, “If you know what songs are going to come up, you can sing the songs, which is what I like to do… I like listening to what I want to. If I have a friend in the car she can pick what we’re listening to so I like that,” said Angie Mejia, senior.
Teenagers listen to music on mobile apps, but some do not have cars that allow them to connect their phone. Macy Reid’s car does not have a Bluetooth or AUX cord.
“My car is really old, so I have CDs and stuff,” said Reid.
Reid does not listen to the radio at all. For her, the choice over radio is not about preferring her curated Spotify playlists, it’s about controlling her own music.
“When you can listen to [your own music] it’s more personal to you,” said Reid.
Having easy access to music certainly has its perks, but it also prevents you from experiencing types of music you might not listen to unless you heard it on the radio.
“If you’re listening to the radio, it’s always something different. It’s not the same genre of music,” said Mejia.
However, you’re not always in the mood to discover new music. Sometimes you just want to play your favorite song to cheer yourself up.
“Since you don’t pick the song, you can discover new music, but you might not like it. Whereas if you’re listening to your own music, you pretty much know you’re going to enjoy it,” said Reid.
Being in constant control of the music is fun, but it can also be dangerous. If you are trying to skip a song or mess with the volume, you are less aware of your surroundings, which is important when driving.
“I think [music apps] are a good thing but they can also be a distraction sometimes. If you really like a song and are jamming out to it, you might not be focused on the road and driving,” said Cook.
Regardless of what you listen to, it is clear that radio is losing popularity among the youth. Despite this fact, Cook, Mejia, and Reid all said that their parents listen more to the radio when driving, so radio is not going away completely.
There is a generational difference in what people prefer to listen to when driving, and for teens, it seems that radio is becoming more and more obsolete.
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