Cds are amazing actually / we dont own media anymore

Ive recently gotten into CDs again. My family has always been behind with technology, we couldn't afford things like cable TV or handheld phones. I grew up during the 2010s using CDs, DVDs, VHS tapes, Landline phones, and occasionally the computers at my school. My family finally got an iPad and gave me a used Iphone 4 when I was in highschool, ever since then I would just use my phone for music. Open YouTube, look for music videos, listen, end. 

This continued until very recently when I learned that no one really owns anything anymore. If you buy music, books, or movies online, you are basically renting them for however long Amazon or Apple decide to keep them in their discography. This is insane to me. I explained this to my friends, and they didn't really care. "Why would you even need to own it? Who cares?" 

Who cares? I didn't know how to explain my feelings about this at the time, not until I decided to buy CDs again. The freedom of owning physical music is amazing. I listen to music more intentionally now, I don't let algorithms choose for me, I don't have to pay a monthly fee to download music, I can import music on my iPod shuffle and just take it with me wherever without worrying about internet connections, I don't have to be glued to my phone anymore, I don't get ads shoved in my face. I also listen to more music now, you might think that spotify gives you more recommendations or room to explore music but have you ever listened to an entire album? I think most of us pick and choose our favorite songs and listen to them on repeat, but with CDs I'm more inclined to listen to an entire album or a full soundtrack. CDs have also made me more social. I used to be a shut-in but often go to music shops and fleamarkets now because of my new appreciation. 

This can also be applied to records ofc. I also collect records but CDs are much more affordable and storage-friendly for me. 

This will make me sound like an old man but I think people who didn't have to rely on physical media growing up don't really understand the freedom and control that ownership offers you. To me, everything went downhill when the internet became a place where you visit the same 5 apps and everything became a "convenient" subscription service. My local PUBLIC library even made it impossible to borrow books and media without paying a subscription (HUH???).

Now my goal is to no longer be at the heels of these corporate giants anymore. Buying used is cool, owning things is cool, and being a pirate is also cool. If you like a piece of media that you can only find online I highly recommend buying the DVD, CD version or saving it to some sort of online archive/downloading it!!!