While the difference between 80’s music and music today is almost immeasurable, what is almost even more incredible is how the way in which we listen to our music has changed. Cassettes and 8-tracks used to be the standard when listening to music, and before that, we had records. Since the digital revolution, we have almost completely done away with physical media. Print is switching over to E-reader and tablet friendly formats, and online radio stations are replacing the boom boxes.
Certainly, there are arguments that can be made against this shift to a more digital frontier, but in a practical sense, the pros far outweigh the cons. The most noticeable and easily appreciated advantage of digital media is that we no longer have to worry about taking up physical shelf space or wherever to make room for our collection of music, movies, or games. Innovations are being made in almost every facet of the technology we use on a daily basis to incorporate digital formats into existing devices. It is now a standard to make sure that cars are compatible with most mp3 players, and as more of our devices are connected to the World Wide Web, internet radio is sure to replace traditional radio stations since our device can be directly hooked up to and synced with our vehicle. It is exciting to imagine what innovations lie just around the corner? What is next, shirts that are connected to the internet? In light of recent advancements, I don’t think that is too far from the truth.
