A lot of people have come to see the mp3 player as an extension to their body [...] they won't leave the house without the device anymore. The music collection that they carry with them is a reflection of their identity and without an mp3 player, a lot of people feel incomplete. More and more people have become emotionally dependent on a piece of commercial technology. - Between Ears
In a post titled Space-Time Distortion, I told you that my iPod and Dell DJ MP3 players stopped working at the same time. Weird. But they’re both fixed now, and the music lives. I didn’t realize how much I used those things until I couldn’t use them anymore. It felt like I was going through withdrawal. 
(I bought the DJ first because I wanted to avoid the iPod hype, but then I broke down and bought a video iPod. Because of DRM restrictions, I can’t consolidate the two music libraries, which is why I maintain two players.)
On Listening Post, a Wired magazine blog, I read about a Dutch survey on “how and why people use their mp3 players.” An excerpt:
The mp3 player gives people the opportunity to cut off from reality around them, and to create an individual “space” in theirs heads, which makes them feel more comfortable in their surrounding; they fill their shopping bags with their hands, while their head is being filled by dreamy soundscapes. The device gives people a sense of control over their own (emotional) lives.
Two filmmakers intend to create a documentary about the phenomenon. This got me thinking about how and why I use my MP3 players. I’ve owned at least one for a couple of years now and 
listen to both all the time. The computer severely cut into my TV viewing time (I consider that a good thing), and my music collection runs a close second.
I listen to everything from country to hard rock to “easy listening” to classic disco to classical. I listen to audio books and podcasts, too. I bring both players with me when I travel out of town but only one when traveling locally.
I feel incomplete when I go out without one of my MP3 players. I admit that I sometimes use it to cut myself off from people, to settle into the “world between ears.” Everything and everyone just seem more pleasant when I’m walking down the street or through an airport or riding on the Metro while listening to my tunes.
What about you? Tell us how and why you use your gadget. What sort of music/audio books/podcasts do you listen to?
