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Before any Eastview student walks in the doors of the school, they have most likely been confronted with a small but powerful device that has completely altered the lifestyle of the American teenager, both in and out of school. When apple first came out with their newest product, the iPod, in 2001, it completely changed the music industry, especially for high school teenagers.

To many students, their iPod is more than just a music player; it allows the listener to display their creativity in ways that were never available to previous generations. Students like freshmen, Gio de Guzman, say, “I get ideas from listening to music”It’s not surprising that the iPod has the ability to inspire musical ingenuity, considering that the iPod classic has 120 GB of storage, that’s up to 30,000 songs, or 150 hours of video. Speaking of video, the latest iPod nanos, along with the iPod classic and touch, can now play video, opening up brand new avenues of creativity for high schoolers, thanks to Apple and their pint-sized silver boxes.

iPods have broken down the barriers that once faced music lovers. Listeners now have the ability to pick and choose their songs. For some, this broadens the level of musical independence and individuality. Meghan Keegan, an Eastview sophomore says, “I form my own path. I listen to basically anything, I listen to what I want, even if others don’t like it”. Unique musical style may also make students branch out in school, with an increase of creative ideas in classes like English. However, for some students, the opposite effect is seen. Sophomore Maddie Johnson shares about her music choices by saying, “I sometimes conform to my brother’s music, I listen to what he buys, but I also listen to alternative and classic rock, which is what my friends like”.

When you think about musical choices for teens, you need to remember the source of their music. Two of the four students that I interviewed for this article admitted that they have downloaded music illegally. This accurately reflects the actions of the average American teenager; the Youth and Music Survey 2009 showed that 49% of music owned by 15-19 year olds is downloaded illegally. Even more surprising is that 70% of 15-24 year olds don’t even feel guilty about illegally downloading music. What does this say about the modern society? Are teens the same as they’ve always been, just with more opportunities to bend the law, or has the influence of the music industry damaged the conscience of high schoolers? Maddie Johnson explains, “My personality has changed because of my brother’s explicit music. I’ve become more explicit in my life because of it”.

Arguably the most noticeable way that iPods have changed students is the amount of time that students spend listening to their music. Just the other day I was walking in the hallway and passed four kids in a row, with their heads down, headphones stuck in their ears, each holding their precious iPod. Every one of the four students that I talked to said that they listen to music during study hall, and while doing homework, especially math. However, when I asked them if their music makes them more efficient, each one thought about it for a while, then regrettably said no. Gio de Guzman came right out to say, “I lip-sync to the music, play the air guitar, and sometimes I actually sing out loud when I am listening to my iPod."

While Eastview students say that they don’t study effectively with their iPod, they may not be utilizing all of the power their iPod has to offer. The online education database offers a list of study helpers that can be downloaded onto your iPod. Some of the possibilities include Spark Notes, Raybook, and SAT Vocabulary Builder. Podcasts are also a valuable tool, offering study materials for teens such as iPod Spanish to go.

The invention of the iPod has completely revolutionized the high school experience. From the insane amount of songs that teens are exposed to, to the study guides that high-schoolers may or may not use, one thing is for sure…iPod is here for keeps.