As tech fans, it’s easy to take a forward-looking view of technology: constantly excited about the next iPhone or smart wearable, while our old gadgets gather dust in the back of a cupboard somewhere.
Hoping to reach some of those tech owners, the SIU School of Medicine in Illinois is currently requesting old iPods as part of what it calls the “Music and Memory” program to help people suffering from Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia.
As the medical school explains it, the iPods are used for a form of musical therapy designed to help calm patients and make them happier and more sociable by playing music from their younger years.
Music has a strong emotional component, something that Steve Jobs was very aware of when he introduced the iPod. Listening to music has been shown to be able to help with bringing back memories associated with hearing that music, and therefore of processing information.
If you do own old iPods, it’s worth contacting the SIU School of Medicine to find out if you might be able to help by sending your old gadget. There’s been a lot of press recently about Apple’s move into the mobile health field, thanks to HealthKit and the Apple Watch. However, the “Music and Memory” program demonstrates that you don’t need the latest sensors and data analytics tools to be able to help people in a medical setting.
It seems that, despite no longer being a significant enough part of Apple’s business to warrant highlighting on its financial reports, the iPod still has a future — and that’s pretty great.
Source: WGEM
