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No one is doubting the overall convenience of MP3's. Even as a musician myself who struggles to make money doing what I love and basically having to advertise to no end to get anyone to listen to my music, I download MP3's regularly. This is not an argument of copyright infringement or even a money issue, but rather a social issue.

In the old days before computers took off, in order for someone to receive the music they wanted, they'd have to jump in the car and drive to the local record shop and physically browse the bins and racks. In order to sample the record they wanted, they'd have to summon a clerk and have them play the record for them. It was a very social concept. You'd drive and see people. You'd meet them. Now is not the same case.

The 1980's just brought along a wealth of changes. Records were moving away to make room for cassette tapes and compact discs. Boomboxes were regular on the streets and the Sony Walkman was stepping into the market. Because of tapes small size, portability and personal stereos were becoming a plus. Did it create a breed of loners back then? Maybe so, but it certainly wasn't a bad thing. Is a little privacy so much to ask?

In order for someone to get the songs/albums they want, all they have to do start up Limewire or Soulseek and do a little typing and clicking. In a matter of minutes, that very album that 20 years ago one would have to drive to a record shop to purchase is now on their computer, ready to be transferred to a blank cd, mp3 player or what have you. Where's the interaction? Where's the social factor? It's been phased out just like VHS, 8-tracks and floppy disks. It's just not a necessary part of this type of group anymore, so it's slowly phasing out.

Now, I wouldn't say it's all mp3's fault. In fact if you dissect the entire issue, it's probably not their fault at all. It's just one of those things that has gradually happened over the past 10 years or so. Why waste all of the gas driving to the record shop and spend all those minutes searching every bin when typing and clicking is so much easier? See, it's not mp3's fault. It's just a sign of the times. Technology owns all in the end. Pretty soon, mp3's will probably be on the way out just like its predecessors.

We don't MEAN for it to happen. We just look for more convenience.

Loners couldn't exactly blame mp3's for their anti-social behavior. I wouldn't call it a catalyst to the entire reaction. Just because someone has headphones in their ears in a crowded bus or subway, I wouldn't think of them as anti-social, or a loner. Maybe someone who just really loves music and wants a daily fix of their favorite song.

Learn more about this author, M.S. Martin.
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