In a culture that promotes hustle and busyness, there is a shortage of personal time for quiet.
I can’t remember a time from my childhood that the car was quiet on any drive with my parents. Not because they were engaged in deep conversation or laughing or even arguing, but because the radio was always on. If my mom was driving, she would be constantly singing along with her favorite 90’s country music, and on the rare occasion that she decided to give the driver’s seat to my dad, he would change it to his usual droning, monotonous talk radio channel which spoke of things that were of no importance to either me or my mother.
When I first got my driver's license, I would do the same thing that I was accustomed to and have a variety of songs constantly playing. I felt that I had gained some freedom in being able to control the music that could be heard from my car, but it wasn’t until I tried driving without it that I actually felt free. I found that when I stopped the constant current of rhythm and ideas being projected at me, I could actually focus on more of the things around me. It felt odd at first, but I started noticing small things like the fact that each type of car would emit different sounds when taking off as the light turned green and how I could actually hear the birds singing quite clearly through the tinted windows of my Subaru. Eventually, I was able to just listen to my own thoughts and this is what I found to be most beneficial. Finding time to be present with your own ideas without distractions is crucial in a culture of such busyness.
I have recently made it a habit to drive to school at least twice a week with no music of any kind. It’s not one of those habits that I begrudgingly force upon myself and inevitably fail within a matter of days, but one that I actually look forward to incorporating. This practice occurs during the pre existing and necessary task of driving from place to place. This means that this is an excellent way to be purposefully present with the thoughts we often either inadvertently or intentionally suppress with an intake of media, such as music and other radio, before they even get the chance to touch the surface.
...this is an excellent way to be purposefully present with the thoughts we often either inadvertently or intentionally suppress with an intake of media, such as music and other radio, before they even get the chance to touch the surface.
Everybody knows that when you listen to other people’s thoughts and ideas, you will learn more about them, but how often do you stop and listen to your own? And not just “What should I eat for lunch today?” or “I wonder what will happen in the next chapter of the book I am reading”, but your beliefs about the world, about others, about your relationships, and about yourself as a whole. The greatest thing I have gained from this practice is more knowledge about myself. You may be similar to me and find it somewhat uncomfortable to just sit, do nothing, and think. In my experience, it feels forced and unnatural, but when it is combined with another activity, such as driving, it becomes much easier to embrace. A dedicated time of quiet can bring a much deeper metacognitive understanding and a greater attention to detail of the world around you.
The continuous flow of sound that would flood the vehicle while riding with my parents would usually leave me annoyed or frustrated when I was younger because I couldn’t focus on imagining how I would build my dream castle or making up stories to entertain myself, and later on because I couldn’t devote my full attention to completing my homework while I was being driven to school. On the occasion that I wasn’t specifically trying to complete something else within that time, I felt like the invitation to have a conversation was taken away because of the radio. It was saying many words of its own and to speak mine over it would only be an interruption. It often acted as a barrier that prevented me from building on relationships through conversation with anyone who may have happened to be in the car.
The 1920’s was the decade where broadcast radio began to be popularized in homes as a source of entertainment and news of recent events, but the first radio that was introduced as a feature in automobiles was the “Motorola car radio” which was publicly released for sale in 1930 (Hallman). Even in the midst of widespread economic hardship in the U.S., a large majority of those who were not financially struggling used their money to invest in radios for their car even though many pushed back against this decision (Hallman).
Despite the pushback on this concept, cars soon started to come with radios pre built into their systems instead of being sold as a separate and more expensive add on (Hallman). The increasingly popularized access to the radio in most all vehicles was based on the assumption that people would rather listen to the sounds of other voices instead of their own.
The presence of car radios has not always looked the same, and has even evolved greatly over the last century. Starting out basic with AM radio only, then with the added option of FM, through 8-track players, compact cassettes, CDs, and now, Bluetooth (Hallman). Along with the advancements in the radio and streaming systems themselves, there are also now increasingly more forms of media to listen to through them. This not only includes the plethora of music streaming platforms, but podcasts and audiobooks as well. With the presence of a wider variety of listening options, a larger group of people are being catered to and inclined to utilize this technology in their vehicles. Though it may not seem like there could be any harm coming from this, our cars are inadvertently becoming more like social media: the ultimate source of distraction. The media we listen to is removing attention from our thoughts and filling that space with those who claim to have done the thinking for us and either directly or indirectly guide the way we live.
On some recent drives with either my parents or a friend, I have started initiating a conversation or asking them a question about themselves as I simultaneously reach to turn off the radio. I have found that conversations will often last longer and continue to build significantly more than they would have when the radio was on. The absence of other voices speaking through your car invites the opportunity for a deeper relationship with not only yourself, but also with others if you are not in that space alone. It generates the freedom that comes with attention to detail, personal awareness, and appreciation for the beauty of the creation that exists around us.
While radio or other streaming services are not inherently bad, if you never give yourself a chance to think on your own, you will lose originality and become a product of the busy and obvious voices of society. Intentionally choosing to drive without this source of media can both increase the strength of your connections with others and improve your ability to reflect on your thinking.
Works Cited
Hallman, Carly. “The History of the Car Radio.” TitleMax, https://www.titlemax.com/articles/the-history-of-the-car-radio/. Accessed 23 January 2025.
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