Since the transistor radio, personal music devices have always been accused of creating a society of loners plugged in to a machine rather than their neighbors. This reputation was undeserved 75 years ago and it is undeserved by mp3 players today.

The Internet and mp3s have, on the contrary, fostered much more community around music than was previously possible. Now you can join groups that listen to your favorite music and discuss is ad nauseum. You can get and give extensive recommendations based on your preferences.

25 years ago, you might be lucky to find a hundred people with similar taste near enough to get together and enjoy it. Today you can do a five-second search and find hundreds of web sites with dedicated fans who would be more than happy to debate every aspect of you favorite band's albums.

As mp3 players come out with larger screens, they also display a lot more to the passerby. Someone walking by can see the album cover for a group they love and stop to chat. The person next to you on the bus can hear the strains of their favorite Dvorak movement and strike up a great conversation.

The reason that most people plug in the earphones is that they are bored and don't have anyone to talk to. Switching to mp3s has further opened up a way for people to talk about and share music. This isn't any different than was asking the person in line next to you what the Yankees score was when you saw his transistor radio plugged into his ear.

Learn more about this author, Mel Bergen.
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