Saturday, February 25, 2006

Technology En Masse


I spent Christmas vacation convincing our College Girl to treasure her individuality and not succumb to the latest all-hands fad. Resist the pod invasion, I said.

About a week ago, Apple lowered prices on the low-end iPods, and, you know, who can resist a good sale?

Traitor, cried the College Girl. Baa, I replied.

Some of the advertising for the iPod says, your life deserves a soundtrack. I thought about this the first time I drove around town plugged in to the little white stick with the music in my head loud enough to drown out everything else.

A soundtrack makes me the star of my own movie. Ok, I like that. Of course, that relegates the rest of the people in town to being merely extras. As long as they stay out of my light and eye line, I won’t worry about them. They’re not carrying any major beats or plot points.

Is it a good thing to be able to put the world on IGNORE? Sometimes, I suppose.

Is it disconcerting to be walking through an airport or across a college campus and see everyone tuned in to their own soundtrack? Yes. Especially now you realize you're just an extra in someone else's movie.

Am I turning into one of those old grumps who proclaim the next generation is going to hell in a hand basket?

Not today.

Baa.

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