Modern elevator music

Re “Telling You What You Like,” Column One, Sept. 20

Now that I know someone has the opportunity to listen to more than 20,000 tunes on his two iPods, I only need to know why. I always thought when I saw someone with two earplugs in, it was for one device. What advanced state of intelligence have we reached when one feels the necessity to constantly listen to something? Isn’t it kind of like the elevator music of old that was the brunt of so many jokes? Could someone address the need for all this mental masturbation? Freedom from the need to be trendy must be one of the biggest blessings of old age.

NEIL MCCLAFLIN

Echo Park