It provides you a enjoyable recap of your most listened to songs, artists and genres from the previous yr – full with stats like what number of minutes you listened and your high style “phases” or “moments”.
The custom has seized the cultural zeitgeist all through the entire yr, with numerous on-line discourse surrounding what music will high your listens for the yr.
Along with the thrilling method the record is offered (aesthetically pleasing tiles, interactive components), the reply to its potential to captivate could also be present in one easy thought: we inherently like understanding ourselves.
However what does this imply? We will unpack this additional within the psychological theories of self-concept, social comparability and social connection.
Self-concept
Self-concept is how we see ourselves. It develops from our experiences and our responses to those experiences.
Music is a type of distinctive mediums that displays what we’ve skilled (for instance, a break-up) and the way we really feel (unhappiness and craving).
So, after we see a yearly record of our high artists, genres and songs, it’s like trying right into a mirror that tells us who we’ve been all year long.
This drive in the direction of self-reflection is probably going as a result of it fulfils a few of our most elementary human wants. Do not forget that time when everybody was doing the Myers-Briggs character check?
In 1943, the American psychologist Abraham Maslow developed his principle of human wants.
In keeping with this principle, people have a necessity for esteem (gaining respect and recognition inside our communities) and self-actualisation (realisation of 1’s potential). Neither of those can happen with out first an understanding of who we presently are. Sharing an inventory, then, is a method of claiming to others, “that is me!”.
However sharing your Wrapped record serves extra capabilities than merely self-expression. It facilitates social comparability and social connection.
Social comparability
In 1954, American social psychologist Leon Festinger revealed his social comparability principle.
He believed people are naturally inclined to check themselves to others. We continually consider the place we stand in relation to these round us.
Spotify Wrapped
If you put up your Wrapped record, you aren’t simply saying, “that is what I listened to” or “that is who I’m”. You’re additionally inviting others to interact in a refined social dialogue.
Seeing another person with the identical track on their record would possibly spark a way of connection. Seeing that you just’re within the high 1% of Taylor Swift followers would possibly make you’re feeling even just a little superior (and others just a little envious).
(As a facet observe, I hope this occurs to me once more this yr.)
Seeing another person’s Wrapped also can encourage and validate. If a pal’s record consists of a mixture of genres you’ve by no means explored, you would possibly really feel inspired to department out. Otherwise you would possibly see another person’s record and really feel relieved you’re not the one one obsessive about an artist.
Whether or not acutely aware or unconscious, these comparisons drive engagement with Spotify.
Social connection
Sharing our Spotify Wrapped satisfies one other elementary human want: belonging.
People are inherently social creatures who need to really feel liked and accepted. Music is likely one of the oldest methods we’ve related with each other.
Sharing our Wrapped lists isn’t nearly exhibiting off who we’re, however about discovering widespread floor. It’s about discovering your tribe, a bunch of individuals we are able to really feel safely related to.
That is much more essential throughout a interval wherein folks’s opinions have gotten extra divided and for a youthful technology the place loneliness is changing into an growing downside.
Constructing by yourself wrap
This urge to find out about your self and to share may be very human.
This yr, nonetheless, I problem you to transcend simply dropping a like on somebody’s story.
Certain, the dopamine hit is nice and is a part of what retains us coming again to this yearly ritual. However it takes greater than that to satisfy our want for connection.
This yr, use Spotify Wrapped to begin up a dialog with somebody. Possibly about how their experiences and emotions this yr led to the songs showing on their record. You would possibly be taught one thing new about them and create or revitalise a significant connection.
And that’s a wrap.
Kelvin (Shiu Fung) Wong, Senior Lecturer in Scientific Psychology, Swinburne College of Know-how
This text is republished from The Dialog below a Artistic Commons license. Learn the unique article.
