Dear Tim,
I bought my first Apple product back in 2004, an HP-branded iPod. . I bought a PowerBook G4 in 2005 and never looked back. I've been an Apple customer ever since and have purchased several iPhones, iPads, Apple TVs and Apple Watches along the way. Like many others, I joined the App Store madness, becoming part of the global community. My journey with Apple follows the path of many users; I love Apple products.
However, I believe that we have accelerated technological progress too quickly with products designed to distract our attention from the real world. This worry weighed on my soul and I stopped wearing my Apple Watch many years ago. Not because it's a bad product, but because I'm tired of being constantly connected.
I've been using a Mac for work since 2008, earning thousands hours of use. Working from home means I'm online more often than I'd like, using my iPhone and AirPods to watch podcasts, listen to Apple Music, or enjoy Audible audiobooks when I'm not at work. For the last 15 years I have felt like I was in a world of constant communication and it was wearing me down. This fatigue is not unique to me; Mental health statistics in the United States paint a grim picture, especially among teenagers and young adults.
My family and I spent some time at Disney World a few weeks ago and I was sad to see people watching life through their iPhones. On a walk? Selfie. On line? Scrolling through social networks. Are you having lunch? The screen is in your face. Someone living in 2004 would not recognize the world of 2024. However, I know that this was not the world Apple dreamed of. We have become addicted to our devices. We have become addicted to dopamine. 5 minute YouTube videos are too long. Now we need 15 second TikTok videos. Forget about watching entire movies without scrolling through Instagram or Facebook. We all know something is wrong. We all know that this cannot continue. We need to disconnect. We need long periods of no communication. We need a break. We need a break for our mental health.
I knew I needed it, so I started thinking about making a change. I wanted to go back in time. I wanted to get lost in the music. Music, Tim, is at the core of who Apple used to be. Yes, Apple Music is a great service. This is incredible value. Let's say it's part of the Internet. It's part of the connection. I didn't need apps. I wanted albums. I wanted to enjoy music like before, so I bought a 7th generation iPod classic with a new battery and SSD storage.
Best comment from MrEdofCourse
Focus mode.
I have been “working from home” for many years. The house can be located anywhere in the world where there is a connection. I travel a lot. I play a lot. From time to time my traveling/playing is interrupted due to work. Sometimes someone says, “You should disconnect and enjoy being here,” when they don't realize that I wouldn't even exist if I couldn't connect.
I I don't use TikTok. I'm not a Xitter (I have bots that do this for me as needed for work). Music for me is about the music. The iPhone's ability to access my library or add any song to it from anywhere I have a connection means I have better access to music. The iPod doesn't play music any better.
And for those who prefer TikTok or something else to touching grass, do what makes you happy. I don't understand why the author doesn't have the self-control to do what he wants instead of using his iPhone.
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There is no Bluetooth. There is no Wi-Fi. It's painful to use. The device is slow. Syncing music from my Mac seems archaic. Music sounds much worse than on my iPhone with AirPods Pro. Technically, using an iPod in 2024 is a huge step backwards, but I like it. I love everything about it. I love leafing through my albums. I love running without my iPhone. When I finish work, my iPhone remains on the table. If someone calls, I will answer. Otherwise, my evenings pass without a smartphone. When I do laundry, I select an album I haven't heard in years and press play. I am rediscovering my love for music. I get lost in the music again. This is the Apple I fell in love with. This is the Apple that most of the world discovered 20 years ago. Copy, mix, burn. $9.99 Albums, $0.99 Tracks, and USB Sync. Giving up my iPhone for music and audiobooks has been good for my soul. It was great for my mental health. I got rid of an addiction I didn't even know I had. During non-work hours, I spend hours without checking email, social media, etc. When I finish work, I unplug.
Tim, today's society needs a dose of offline. We need to touch the grass. We need vitamin D. We need to get rid of the dopamine addiction to likes, feeds and everything that comes with it. Apple has unknowingly brought us to the state of the world today. It's time for Apple to help us get out of this situation. Let's normalize shutdowns. Let's normalize long periods without Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or the need to update.
Using an iPod in 2024 is not easy, but I prefer to use something technically inferior because I know my soul, mind, and the heart needs it. Most people don't intend to take this trip. Tim, what will the iPod look like in 2024? I don't think it will be much different from the iPod classic I use today. Form factor. User interface. Experience. Everything was perfect at the time, and it can be perfect again. It can even work with Apple Music if you sync it to your Mac once a month to check your subscription. Let's go offline. Let's put thousands of songs back in our pockets. Let's bring back the iPod and start a conversation about the benefits of being away from everything online for a long time.
Let's dive into the music of the new generation
