People are intrigued when I tell them that all (yes, all) my possessions fit in a small backpack... No one is more amazed than me how good it feels to be this portable. For years I was fiercely attached to my stuff, believing that my CDs, books, DVDs and knick-knacks said something about me. Without my things, where was the evidence of my personality? I wanted people to nod approvingly at my Coen brothers’ films, ask probing questions about my JG Ballard novels and seethe with jealousy at my ability to unearth retro kitchenware in charity shops. Now I realise that living a “lightweight lifestyle” says more about me – and many people like me – than any CD shelf. Historically the physical – and therefore visible – has been the primary way for consumers to display status, and to tell others, ‘This is who I am,’ or, ‘This is what I love.’ The record collection sitting on the shelves was a marker of commitment to music, and of taste and sensibility,” he says. “Today there are more powerful ways to show that commitment and taste: by curating and sharing online, by devising playlists and so on. That historic link between status and the physical has been definitively broken. It’s a key change.” (Thanks, Alia, for the link.)
Posted on: Tue, 13 May 2014 14:15:57 +0000
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