Has Music Become White Noise?

I have been talking to people about how and when they listen to music lately and their answers have seem to conclude that for many, music has become a form of white noise.  We talked alot in class about how white noise is something that people tend to use to help the brain focus.  For example, Mr. Bolos said that sometimes he would turn on TV static during tests to help students focus.  It seems that many people now use music for the same purpose.

This is actually a big component of my junior theme topic in which I will try to explain why so few young people listen to jazz.  I think Jazz is dead in part because it really can't be used as white noise.  I think good jazz commands attention making it hard to focus on anything else while listening to it.  Thus people turn to music that will wash over them without distracting them from a seperate activity.

It seems to me that people rarely really sit down and pay attention to what's coming through their ipods.  Music is mostly in the background, playing while "listeners" study or work out or drive.

This might account for why popular music, especially lyrics has devolved.  Given the purpose it serves, it wouldn't make sense for modern popular music to have compelling and poetic lyrics like those of the Frank Sinatra song, "The Way You Look Tonight" shown in the picture to the right.  Rather, generic and meaningless lyrics that wash over listeners without grasping any attention like those of the Justin Bieber song "Baby" make more sense.  People don't look to music for primary entertainment anymore but rather as background white noise or "muzak".