It would not be an overstatement to suggest, with some degree of seriousness, that the radiant white image of an I-pod may be one of the more endearing images of the 21st century. Among the rabid diseases, the constant warring, and the degeneration of socialisation that makes these modern years so distinct; is the blasting of electronic tunes from small headphones just another step towards serenity? Perhaps if George Bush, instead of reacting quickly to the “war on terror” (how do you fight an abstract noun, anyway?), had flicked out a pocket-sized mp3 player and boogied to his favourite melody, we’d have spared ourselves more bloodshed.

I know what you’re thinking – comparing the deeds of an electronic device to international politics is like mixing Wayne Rooney and a school textbook. They just don’t fit together. So what do these relatively new, technological gadgets do for society in general?

Most people could realise the advantages of an individual possessing such a device. To fit all your favourite music onto an incredulously small machine, which you can then carry wherever you go, filling those boring tram journeys down to town with private sessions of music, enough to get your head banging and your feet tapping until the doors open. And it’s always a bonus when you irritate your fellow neighbouring travellers, who furiously throw their scrunched-up faces round, seeking the source of that beat they just can’t place. The list goes on – informing your mates of the latest phenomena; showing off your musical taste (or lack of); even transporting different types of data – like an extravagant floppy disk.

But do they actually help anyone? Do we really need more longhaired, denim-wearing, head-bopping youngsters moaning and whining about clichéd teenage-angst to walk down the streets with floppy, spindly headphone wires literally growing from their deafened ears? Of course, the introduction of the CD Walkman did the same thing, but on a lesser scale. I bet you’re going, “Well, does it hurt anybody?”

You’ll be the one who sympathises with your friend when they’re mugged late at night by a group of skin-haired ten-year-olds wearing shell suits. The truth is, violent crime, especially muggings, have risen dramatically in the last decade. First it was mobile phones that were given top spot of victims stolen; now it seems I-pods and their mp3 competitors may be shifting them off the top spot. It’s easy to see why - when you fill your ears with all that noise, you won’t notice footsteps stalking behind you and you won’t notice their shouts. Losing your sense of hearing in such situations drops a big advantage in terms of self-defence.

Peer pressure is also escalated by the arrival of mp3 players. It’s almost become customary for everyone to have one – if you don’t; you’re a cheapskate and a social reject. Unless you shell out all your pocket money on something widely accepted as a fashion accessory, you’re just not conforming well enough. Do school kids really need extra things to worry about, when fitting in is so difficult regardless?

Most of you would have noticed I sound like I’m plucking at straws. You’d almost be correct – to try and pick holes in such an ingenuous gadget is nigh on impossible. That’s also ignoring the fact I’d be an absolute undeniable hypocrite if I condemned the use of them (stops writing to change track) because I’d die of boredom if my mp3 player was taken from me. No, dear readers, I-pods and its friends and are not bad things – it’s just the desire of everybody to find problems with anything that’s vaguely successful – just look at Microsoft.

So what’s next on the horizon? After all, the I-pod is just the King of a long line of successful consumer gadgets, each pushing the boundaries of nanotechnology and handing it to the mainstream, from the brick-shaped mobile phones of the 80s to the massively popular CD Walkmans of the 90s. It seems that our digital future lies in seamless integration.

The do-it-all cell phone or handheld device is what the gadget industry is banking its large stacks of money on. There’s a memorable joke that sets the scene well – A man walks into a shop and asks the clerk a question, “Do you sell any mobile phones that can make phone calls?” Already, there are multiple models that amalgamate mp3 functions, cameras, games and all the normal phone tasks. But what about something that incorporated the memory of an I-pod, the playability a hand held games machine, the features of an advanced digital camera and the abilities of cutting edge mobile phones to make a mix made in heaven? What about adding in an electronic wallet, car keys and word processors to make the ultimate gadget of all time?

This writer waits with eager eyes.