Apple EarPods with 3.5mm Headphone Plug

Apple Inc., ca. 2012

Metal, plastic outer shell

Dimensions variable

Purchased from Rogers in 2016

Personal collection

In-ear listening devices were first introduced in the late 1800s by Thomas Edison. Thomas Edison attached stethoscope-like earphones to phonographs, in order for individuals to hear recorded sounds in a more private manner. The more modern looking headphones that we see today, however, were derived from Nathaniel Baldwin. Created in 1910 on a kitchen table, Baldwin’s earphones initially served as a communications device for the US Navy. With later adaptations in technology, the Walkman would develop in 1979. The Walkman was a portable mechanical device that allowed music to be carried in the pocket of an individual.

Our modern concept of the headphone would emerge from the Walkman, as it consisted of compact easy to carry headphones that allowed you to listen to a recorded sound from anywhere. In 2001, Apple Inc. released its initial earbuds with the sale of their first-generation iPod, these white headphones would become a status symbol for individuals. The increasing popularity of these white earbuds would allow earphone production to reach its peak. In 2012, Apple earphones were modified and remarketed as a more comfortable product for the consumer’s ear, they became referred to as EarPods.

Apple EarPods allowed for individuals to have a shared cultural identity through the tangible and the intangible objects. Apple enabled individuals to feel a part of a community, people became convinced that they were united through the ownership of Apple commodities. This concept of an Apple family is further enhanced by the tacit idea that individuals could simultaneously be listening to the same type of music or perhaps even the same song as another individual. Simply, the commodification, mass purchasing, and boasting of Apple products created what Benedict Anderson refers to as the “imagined community”.  In 2016 these headphones would come into my possession. They are particularly significant to me as they allow me to explore different music genres.

Apple EarPods were a way for individuals to isolate themselves within a public space. Headphones reduce background noise and allow the individual to listen to their music, audiobooks, and recordings without having the noise of the outside environment interrupt them. However, viewing headphones in this light can be completely opposed in regard to the current pandemic we are facing. With limited physical movement and social interaction outdoors headphones and the noise they create can provide a false sense of company for individuals who live alone. Headphones are an everyday object that we can often take for granted, however under our present circumstances and the push towards a more technologically based format we begin to value headphones more. With the current situation headphones have become a more important and essential tool that allows us to communicate with family, friends, and co-workers.

Ashley Downhill