The technological advancement within the past 20 years has achieved the unthinkable. Small Pieces Loosely Joined discussed how differently people thought of technology then compared to our present day. In our present-day technology is a part of our everyday routine. It is difficult to say whether the pros outweigh the cons because they are ways the internet has doomed and benefited society. 20 years ago, the development of technology was something new and exciting. Of course, not everyone was on board with it. Anything that is foreign can be scary. The technological artifact I would like to discuss would be the invention of the MP3 player.
Sometimes people need an escape from the harsh realities of the world, and many people like myself like to do so by listening to music. Music makes everything better, it can make or break a movie, it can brighten up a sad day, it can bring people together, and it can make amazing memories. Music is something people can always count on when they have no one to rely on. Having music be portable and carrying it around changed everything. The invention of the MP3 scared the music industry (because of financial losses, obviously), but fascinated music lovers. The invention of the MP3 jumpstarted downloading free music for anyone to listen to. Back then people would have to be frugal with the music they listened to, just in case only one vinyl album, or a single cassette tape was all they could afford. After listening to the same several times, it gets old. Music fans needed something more innovative than that. I could not imagine wanting to listen to my artist’s new album and not being able to because the vinyl is too expensive. With the affordable streaming services today I have every single song I need within my fingertips. It definitely saved space too because tapes, vinyl, and CDs take up a lot of space because what if a person had a wide variety of music selections? With a tiny portable device like the MP3 player with the capabilities of holding hundreds of songs, the possibilities seemed endless.
While the way we consume music has come such a long way, the MP3 player has changed the way that people carry music. I do think that the Small Pieces Loosely Joined applies to the invention of the MP3 player. When the MP3 was initially released people were so excited about it, while record companies and music industries were terrified of its capabilities and what that means for them! I personally do not think there were any disadvantages from the invention of the MP3 player because I believe it simply made listening to music more convenient. The MP3 developed into music streaming which connects people today, which is mentioned in the Small Pieces Loosely Joined. The reading mentions how the internet can connect people, and that is exactly what music does. It was the turning point behind the evolution of music from its early CD days to the era of Spotify. In our present-day, MP3 files are increasingly being superseded by the universality of streaming services such as Spotify, Apple Music, and SoundCloud. The MP3 player revolutionized the music industry and the way people listen to music for the better.
Sources:
https://theconversation.com/not-dead-yet-how-mp3-changed-the-way-we-listen-to-music-77856
