Ipod: A Cultural Artifact (Michael Gallaway)

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• published: 26 Apr 2010
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For my project, I decided to examine how iPods have become a cultural artifact. iPods are not only one of the most influential developments in the music industry, but also has developed a culture around them. To many, the iPod is considered one of the most important cultural artifacts of the 20th century. It shows what we have come from, and where we are going in the future. The iPod has made other music players such as the Sony Walkman obsolete, as well as changing how people store music. When you once needed a wall shelf to hold all your CDs, you can now store all your CDs in the palm of your hand. You can break down the effects of iPods by using Nitza Hildagos three levels of culture. Through the concrete, symbolic and behavioral ideas, it has become apparent just how much iPods are affecting us. Ideas such as social class and language play a huge factor into the iPod as well. Interaction between people has greatly diminished since the development of this music player. Therefore, you can ask questions such as, is do ipods make a person anti-social. People take their iPods wherever they go, and they can control their environment, and use it to privatize their own space while in public. This ultimately alters how we view public and private space. The iPod has allowed people to create their own space around them, even if they are in crowded bus full of people. What was once thought to be just a music player, has now become a culture of its own. As the ipods continue to change, the culture around them changes too. It will be interesting to see what the future holds, and the ipod will continue to be one of the most important cultural artifacts of the 20th century.