360 Degrees: iPods

Music has played an important role in daily life for a long time now; the advent of portable media players simply made the tradition more convenient. The word iPod has become synonymous with 'portable entertainment.'

One might say that they can be viewed as fashion statements, though hardly original or rare nowadays. Purchasing one might be an act of rationalization: I have acquired the financial means to afford such a sleek luxury and now I will take advantage of it. From a more practical perspective, perhaps this: I don't like carrying my CD collection with me everywhere I go, nor do I like limiting portable access of my music by bringing only a few discs. Trying to fit in: All my friends have one and as God is my witness I will get one too. These consumers have come up with a wide variety of reasons to buy from this product line and the iPod is now a veritable icon.

The iPod can be seen as essentially a means of further mobilizing what the CD player accomplished. If music can be such an integral part of people's lives, why not make it more convenient? A form of familiar entertainment while away from the familiar home environment could be said to expand one's comfort level with being outside of one's normal boundaries - it facilitates travel perhaps. Of course, it can also be used while in the house, however the only practical use of this is to remove the limits of having to sit next to the radio.

A culture can be assessed from many facets, and the iPod represents that of technology. Civilization today is marked by global communication, transportation, and connectivity. The portability of music offered by iPods illustrates this theme of being on the move, in a constant state of motion.

While one can indulge in philosophical thought when picking up their portable MP3 player, there's no need to do so every single time. What it all comes down to in the end is the ability to hear one of your favorite tunes with a couple clicks and swishes of the thumb. No need to over-analyze that.