People blast songs out of cars. They wear t-shirts with bands and albums emblazoned across them. They plaster bedrooms with posters advertising shows and albums. They even 'like' songs on Facebook, tweet about songs and share playlists on Spotify.
So why, in public, are people so careful to shield the screens of their iPods when flicking through songs? Is this unique to the tube? Is it like reading over someone's shoulder? Am I just being nosy?
Is there something more fundamental to this? Is the intensely personal experience of listening to music on headphones to much to share? Would having people know what you're listening to burst that bubble? Are we happy to share music when we're listening publicly, but very uncomfortable to have people easvesdrop on our private world?
Or is it just that people use the oportunity of secret listening, while imaging being in a music video, to wallow in truly embarassing tunes that they really wouldn't want anyone to know about?
What about people who play their music so loud that you can hear it across a crowded train/bus, or who sing along - or most bizarrely - who rap along?? They are sharing a bit too generously...
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