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Newsday is running yet another article about how the iPod is ruining the otherwise perfect experience of riding public transit.
Apple's digital music player is massively popular with people on the go. And as the iPod morphs from hipster accessory to everyday item, critics worry that the growing number of people tuning out from the world is diminishing public life.
"Get on a subway, and you're surrounded by a bunch of Stepford commuters, all sealed off from each other, staring into mid-space as if anesthetized by technology. Don't ask, don't tell, don't overhear, don't observe. Just tune in and tune out," columnist Andrew Sullivan wrote in the Sunday Times of London.
And you know what my response to this is? Sour. Grapes.
You see, I ride the bus into work every day, and the only time people have spontaneously started conversations with me is when they want to either sell me an incredibly valuable bit of cardboard they found stuffed under a garbage can, or they want to make sure that I know that Space Jesus is coming in his magic chariot at 2:25 p.m. today.
Actually, there are other conversations on the bus. Usually describing the anatomical details of various females, or, my personal favorite, "I hate to spoil the end movies, but when they shot that guy when you thought he was going to make it..."
Local color. Meh.
Fortunately one person does take up the cause of those who (like me) want to shut out the world during the time we partake of public transportation:
While iPods--like cell phones--can contribute to what sociologists call "absent presence," Bull sees the devices as symptoms of a society that puts less value on social spaces, not the cause. If the guy on the train next to you is enjoying his time in iPod world, he's benefiting, and what are you losing anyway?
"I think you have to ask how often you speak to the person next to you on the train anyway," said Bull, a professor at the University of Sussex. "Historically, people look out the window or read newspapers."
Or it could just be, you know, jealousy.
Bill's been using Macs since the late 80s. When he's not making smartass remarks to amuse Kirk Hiner, he enjoys fighting for the user.
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Are there any plans to make an iPod with a built-in speaker? Years ago I had a great little (Walkman-sized) radio / cassette player (by Seiko Instruments Inc.) that had a built-in speaker. You could even record with it, and the sound and reception were exceptional. But I do get the point about this kind of “autistic” culture we seem to be developing. I think that one of the origins of it may be Dr. Benjamin Spock’s ‘Baby and Child Care’ book. His advice was to raise inner-directed children; great for deep thought and innovation, but maybe not for socialization. Oh well. I’m just hoping that America wakes up from its chemically-dependent fog and gets back on the road to freedom. And innovative folks like those at Apple can be a beacon to that glorious future!