Fewer iPods in the Subway?

Has anyone else noticed a marked decline in the number of people listening to iPods in the subways? Six months ago, virtually every other person was sporting the signature white earphones. Now it seems only one or two people per car are listening to any kind of digital jukebox. I suppose this could be due to the fact that many people who were not true music lovers, bought one of the svelte little stunners simply because it was the must-have accessory du jour (or du decade) and after a period of trial usage, the novelty has worn off. Part of me thinks it's really just a quesion of cultural ADD: Another instance of a miracle product ultimately failing to fill the chronic and persistent emptiness at the consumer's core. But a less pessimistic side of me thinks it could also be a symptom of something more hopeful: Namely, that when all is said and done, most people like to have an audio-visual connection with their physical environment. If so, that would suggest that the species has some kind of innate resistance to the ever increasing isolation and virtualization of modern experience. In either case, I don’t think it bodes poorly for the sales of iPods as for each market that's saturated, there will be new parts of the country and globe where people have yet to experience the full cycle of novelty, immersion and disenchantment. Of course, there are many true music lovers who do not experience iPod burnout. They're sort of like the 10 per cent of gym members who amortize their membership by actually going to the gym.

Or maybe I'm wrong about all of this and have just been sitting in the lame, non-musical cars on my subways lately.

Or, as a friend speculates, maybe I'm not seeing iPods in the subway anymore because, after spending $300 for a new Nano, their owners can't afford public transportation and have to walk.

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Posted on 12/2/2005 ( Permanent Link )
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