This idea of personal and private music is important to many individuals. With the iPod, people no longer have to worry about what others will think of them because of the type of music they are listening to. This is because the nature of the iPod is to give a person the music they want through headphones or ear buds. This is a far cry from the boom boxes of the 1980’s that blasted out music to let everyone know what music that individual likes. Rather, the iPod’s small yet powerful design allows for people to discretely enjoy music on the go.
People could now choose what songs they listen to. This allows people to listen to what they want. In a sense, the iPod has made it possible for everyone to be their own DJ. By being your own DJ, one can play songs that they only like. This has made music much more personal to people. No longer would people have to listen to a song they hated on radio because they now have their full music library at their command.
If one would go out in public, they would see that many people have small ear buds in their ears. People
are now listening to everything from Bach to One Republic on their iPods. This allows people to choose the music they really enjoy rather than songs that are pushed by pop culture. The iPod has helped make music a great deal more individualized and meaningful for people. Music lovers could now enjoy all their favorite music without anyone ever knowing what they are listening to. This is because it is now seen as fashionable (see add to the right) to have an iPod even though that person is the only one who get to listen it. This was all made possible by the iPods small yet, powerful design.
The singer Mary J. Blige has been quoted saying “iPod is more than just a music player, it’s an extension of your personality and a great way to take your favorite music with you everywhere you go”. While the athlete Lance Armstrong has stated that “I take my running shoes and my iPod with me everywhere”. 3 In our culture, the iPod has gone from a cool electronic to a part of our bodies. As it can be seen from the two celebrities, people are now identifying themselves with the iPods as a part of their bodies and personality. Other technology such as the Walkman, although popular, has not had that kind of effect on our society. People see the iPod more than a music player. They see it as a part of them or an addition to who they are. This shows that iPod has broken the threshold of fun toy to a necessity to many people.
1. Photo 1 from Apple Computer, Inc. . iPod . 2001. http://web.archive.org/web/20011130083929/http://www.apple.com/ipod/ (accessed Nov 23, 2011).
2. Photo 2 Pedersen, Martin C. World’s Greatest Art Director. Oct 23, 2011. http://www.metropolismag.com/pov/20111006/worlds-greatest-art-director (accessed Nov 22, 2011).
3. Apple . 100 Million iPods Sold. n.d. http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2007/04/09100-Million-iPods-Sold.html (accessed Nov 22, 2011).
The Apple Renaissance through iPod 