10 Ways the iPod Changed Our Lives, for Better and Worse

Alamy

It's been a full decade since Apple unleashed the iPod into the world, and we'll be the first to admit that we didn't realize the impact it would have (though we did know that Afroman wouldn't be staying at the top of the charts, like he was at the time). With that in mind, we put together a somewhat personal and lovingly sarcastic list of 10 ways that the little gadget has affected our lives and the music world, for better or worse. Put in your earbuds, crank up your favorite playlist and read on (and feel free to leave your personal iPod anecdotes in the comments).

1. They Conspired to Kill Record Stores! (After Napster)
On one hand, it is a bit sad that we don't have to rely on that stereotypical record-store dude because digital music let's us discover new bands without getting out of bed. On the other, there are lots of us who don't mind going out -- even if it does sometime mean putting on clothes -- to go crate digging and buy something on vinyl. So no, we don't like hearing about places going out of business, but we're also happy we can get music in so many different ways.

2. They Kill Us!!!
Back in 2007, a New York State Senator wanted to make it illegal to use an iPod while crossing a city street -- because oblivious people kept walking into the paths of oncoming traffic (granted, the proposed ban also mentioned mobile phones). Admittedly, we zone out all the time when we have our headphones in -- one time we were fired and didn't even know it -- but our iPod didn't take away our ability to LOOK BOTH WAYS.

The iPod Turns 10

3. iA.D.D. -- They Killed Albums!
Ever since MP3s became popular and the iPod dominated the world, albums have ceased to be relevant. Apparently a lot of artists didn't get the memo though, because they just keep coming out with these cohesive collections of songs when all we want to hear is one friggin' track and not have to appreciate packaging. Speaking of which, do you think there's a market for our cassingle stash? It's extensive!

4. We'll Never Travel the Same Way Again
Whether it's a simple commute to work or a cross-country ride, we can travel light while choosing from thousands of songs to help us pass the time. If only it could get us away from the sweaty dude on the subway or past TSA without a hand party and we'd be golden (Work on it, Tim Cook).

5. The Downside of Its Small Size
Some employee of a New Orleans hotel has the first iPod we ever bought thanks to the time we were in a rush to catch an early flight and left it on our bed. That never, ever would have happened if we had our whole CD collection with us (or if we hadn't stayed out until 5AM, but you get the point).

6. The Decline of a Well-Hearing Civilization
A Stanford professor's six-year informal study found that his students actually preferred the "sizzle sounds" found in 128 kbps MP3s as opposed to higher-quality song files. On top of that, listening to music via earbuds has been blamed for a rise in hearing loss in teenagers. This could pose a few problems for the iGeneration as we age, at least until Apple comes out with some kickass hearing aid (does that count as a patent?).

And Who Could Forget This?

7. Our Song Files Are as Portable as Our Vinyl Collection
Or at least it seems that way, when you have anything that's not purchased. Until cloud storage is the norm or Apple changes its iTunes settings, transferring music between computers is going to be a hassle. We know we're whining, but it's a legit gripe.

8. You Break, You Buy Another
OK, we know that's not always the case, but it's become the norm that we rely on gadgets that the average person could never hope to fix on their own. We've known plenty of friends who've irreparably damaged their iPods (we've even witnessed a few of these accidents), and many, many more who've had their devices just up and die on them. Say what you will about the Discman or Walkman, but they could either be fixed really easily or replaced on the cheap.

9. The Rise of Podcasts
Somewhere in a weed-filled college dorm, a student said to his roommate, "We should record a radio show as an MP3 and then let people download it so they can listen to it whenever they want!" Then, after hashing out the idea, they did nothing with it and someone else invented a whole new way of experiencing music, concerts, events, series, etc. How do we know this? Those students are our friends, and they still maintain they could have been billionaires, if only they had more follow-through.

10. They've Won
They killed the Zune and most other competitors. Their commercials are instantly recognizable. People salivate whenever a new one is going to be released. They got us hooked years ago, and we've been chasing that iDragon ever since. Our parents even bought one. If our children are born with them inplanted in their tiny infant skulls, it'll probably seem normal. Until the next great innovation, resistance is iFutile.

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