I miss scarcity

Give or take a few years, I think most of us here of the same generation.

Ours was the Generation of Anticipation. Waiting for that new album, going to the store to buy it, getting together with friends to spin it and socialize, talk about the cover art, critique the songs, or listening to the radio for hours waiting for that one certain song to play. Waiting for your favorite only once a year Christmas specials to come on; A Charlie Brown Christmas, the Grinch, Rudolph, etc. Where Linus taught us the true meaning of Christmas, how the Grinch saw the light and filled his heart with love, not really sure the lesson in Rudolph. Everyone humiliated, alienated and ostracized the little mutant until they needed to exploit his powers for their own selfish benefit. Anyway, if for some reason you missed them, that was it until next year.

Now is the Generation of Instant Gratification. Everything repeatedly at your fingertips with a few taps. No waiting, no face to face socializing. Even if you are face to face, how many have seen this; You're out to eat, there's a table by you with 4 people and all of them have their noses buried in their phones. No talking, no physical interaction, just thumbs tapping away. They are literally texting each other!

There's such a technology disconnect with them it can not be healthy. I weep for this generation. Plus now  I need an aspirin...

I’ve been listening to music for around 60 years.  I have many favorite albums that I’ve been listening to for the bulk of that time.  I for one am glad at the plethora of choices that streaming allows.  No way would I want to return to the time when my LPs had been destroyed, there were no budget CDs, I had limited resources and the FM Radio was it for several years.  Every fall feels like a birthday celebration now

As with the many other innovations we have seen in our lifetimes, the AI train is leaving the station and you can choose whether to get on, or not.  If the issue is overload, then find something that fills your need for downtime - we all need that.

BTW, good one, @ghdprentice 

“The decisive variable is: Whether humans continue to own the interpretive act.”

There are still artists whose new releases I am just as thrilled by, and I anticipate as much as any other new releases by favorite artists over the past decades. The problem for me is finding out about upcoming new releases. There used to be a newsletter called ICE (no relation) that was a dependable source, but that's been gone for decades. 

Should I or do I spend time reminiscing about past things? Is there more or less water in the glass at present vs the past? If I'm feeling nostalgic the past becomes more rose colored, when I'm living in the moment I more appreciate the present. 

I used to have to work to acquire the music I enjoyed, going to the record stores, shows and finding wonderful new music, rather like hunting and gathering experience. Nowadays, with streaming I can add even more wonderful new music with simple tap of keyboard. There can be no doubt some of the primitive pleasures of hunting and gathering lost, but then I have so much more access to so much more wonderful music. 

I'm of a mind I'm not losing a thing these days with music streaming, having more choice and easier access is all good. Moreover, I find this ease of choice and effort to acquire leads to a more pure musical experience, this exact lack of effort means no attachment to all the other experiences one may have in the old ways of acquiring music. 

Now, on the other hand, if we are talking in generalities, I can empathize with feeling of being overwhelmed with excessive information/choices, etc, we humans not built for this, I fully expect the costs of this will continue to accrue. Losing sight of the small things and appreciation for them will take it's toll.