“The Urban Institute, a research organization based in Washington, has released an interesting report that suggests that the proliferation of iPods helps account for the nationwide rise in violent crime in 2005 and 2006,” Sewell Chan blogs for The New York Times. “The report suggests that ‘the rise in violent offending and the explosion in the sales of iPods and other portable media devices is more than coincidental,’ and asks, rather provocatively, ‘Is There an iCrime Wave?'”
Chan reports, “The report notes that nationally, violent crime fell every year from 1993 to 2004, before rising in 2005 and 2006, just as ‘America’s streets filled with millions of people visibly wearing, and being distracted by, expensive electronic gear.'”
Chan reports, “Of course, as any social scientist will tell you, correlation and causation are not the same thing. The report’s authors, John Roman and Aaron Chalfin, acknowledge in the report that ‘rigorous empirical tests’ of any theory for the two-year-old rise in violent crime ‘are not possible.'”
Chan reports, “But they offer three tantalizing observations… [along with] four reasons iPod owners might be particularly susceptible to crime.”
Full article here.
The “Is There an iCrime Wave?” report itself (pdf) is here.
MacDailyNews Take: Rather than blaming an inanimate object, we blame the criminals’ parents (or lack thereof).
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “qka” for the heads up.]
My brother grew in both 2005 and 2006, the same as violent crime. That’s quite a tantalizing correlation.
@ASM
If you’re serious then I’m glad I’m not you! Holy cow you must lead a dismal little life.
MW=”ran” – As in, I guess that’s what you do best.
Fred and No Squirt-
Right on, and in that order.
Remove rules…
Add chaos.
Then blame something else.
the iPod attracts criminals, just like the mobile phones, Walkman’s, watches, jewels before them.
3 people have been killed for their iPod in Brussels where i live, not a very violent city, it’s crazy.
the white headphones are a give away.
“A nation of people self consumed, spoiled & with too much time on their hands”
Dubai, right?
It is well within Apple’s power to flag stolen iPods and remotely disable them through iTunes.
Why the hell won’t they do it!
“It is well within Apple’s power to flag stolen iPods and remotely <strike>disable</strike> detonate them through iTunes.”
Yes, why not!
Yeah, every time I use my iPod, I get this strange urge to attack other people.
Every time I think of the jerk who stole my $300 iPod video, I get the urge to attack people.
@Historian
AMEN and Amen
@Twisted Colon Freak
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“The real problem? Not enough fiber.”
Yes yes and Microsoft is responsible for stupidity
I’m not surprised to read this research. Everyone who lives in an inner city knows that you become a target if you walk around with expensive toys on display. That’s why I take out iPod insurance .