Thursday, February 24, 2005

Society is dead, we have retreated into the iWorld



So says Andrew Sullivan of Times Online. Here is his take on the iPod-ization of Americans after a recent trip to New York. The thing is, he is dead on correct. I see people tuned into their own little world all the time, oblivious to everything outside of their headphones. I'd recommend reading the article - it is interesting, scary, and most importantly, thought provoking. By the way, many thanks to a good friend in Scotland who sent me this article. Anyway, here's a small preview:

There were little white wires hanging down from their ears, or tucked into pockets, purses or jackets. The eyes were a little vacant. Each was in his or her own musical world, walking to their soundtrack, stars in their own music video, almost oblivious to the world around them. These are the iPod people.

Even without the white wires you can tell who they are. They walk down the street in their own MP3 cocoon, bumping into others, deaf to small social cues, shutting out anyone not in their bubble.

Technology has given us a universe entirely for ourselves — where the serendipity of meeting a new stranger, hearing a piece of music we would never choose for ourselves or an opinion that might force us to change our mind about something are all effectively banished.

1 comments:

Anonymous said...

This artical made me absolutely furious. Who cares if people listen to music on the subway or in the airports? It has been happening for years with walkmen and discmen. Music calms people down and helps them relax before or after a long day.
I beleive the real downfall od society is the cell phone. I hate them. I can't stand listening to people talk on them. I hate overhearing the moronic conversations people have on them. The worst part about cell phones is, everybody seems to have one. I do not own a cell phone and see little reason to own one. If people think they are so important that they need to be able to be reached 24 hours a day then they should carry a beeper. Nobody wants to hear half of a conversation between a moron and his girlfriend. Cell phones are what take over peoples lives not iPods. People spend hours a day talking on them and spend even more time text messaging and checking missed calls. They spend hundrds of dollars each year just to keep their cell phones which cost hundreds of dollars themselves. I have gone my entire life without a cell phone and I still have a social life. Cell phones and to a lesser extent IPods are just part of our "Microwave, Can't wait, one hour photo society". If every cell phone on Earth was destroyed today I would rejoice.