Steve Jobs’ impact within the land of Toshibas

At Hockaday, new technology is usually no more than an arm’s length away. The burgeoning world of technology holds a clear and prominent place in the halls and classrooms of this school. So when Steve Jobs passed away on Oct.5, the repercussions were evident.

Whether “a fantastic model for creativity, innovation and success in business,” as he is to junior Natalie, or simply “the Apple guy,” as he is to junior Grace, Steve Jobs left an indelible mark on Hockaday and the lives of its students.

Out of a survey of 93 random Hockaday Upper School students, only one did not own an Apple device.  Results went on to show that every Hockaday student surveyed had, at some point, owned an Apple device.

But how did Apple Inc., in under a decade, develop from a shaky, under-the-radar company to become a massive, multi-million-dollar corporation and a leader in technological innovation? It seems the only thing Apple doesn’t have is viable competition. The answer: Steve Jobs.

Jobs introduced the iPod in 2001, at a time when Apple was known solely for producing personal computers and had not met much success. Today, 92.6 percent of Hockaday students own or have owned an iPod.

“I take my iPods everywhere. They’ve enabled me to be much more involved in the music world,” said sophomore Kellen. Everywhere, girls are plugged in, whether studying music samples for History of Art and Music, exercising to upbeat tunes or adopting a sort of music zen while napping or doing homework.

“My iPod carries music in a small, convenient package, which is really nice. This does, however, attach me to my electronics—our nation is addicted to Apple,” said junior Evi.

Many Hockaday girls carry their iPhones in their front pockets, a phenomenon that just a decade ago would have been considered strange, let alone against school policy.

Now, even teachers utilize this dependence on technology. If a student is missing, it is safe to assume her phone is nearby, and that she will likely receive a quick text or call informing her of where she needs to be.

“I have no issue with phones being around all the time unless students are using them inappropriately—texting during class, etc.,” said Rebekah Calhoun, Director of Health Curriculum. “I like that students have the option of using their phones but also feel there must be commitment on the students’ part to use phones only as allowed by the teacher.”

Senior Daly, one of the 72.3 percent of Hockaday students who own iPhones, said, “I love my iPhone. I’m addicted to it; it has definitely and completely changed my life.”

Senior Jane even reports getting “anxiety attacks” when separated from her iPhone. This is nothing new. According to a recent study by Stanford University, where students were asked to rate their addiction to their iPhones on a scale from one (“not at all addicted”) to five (“fully addicted”), 44 percent of students answered with a four or above. Only six percent of students said they weren’t at all addicted to their device.

If nothing else, this serves as a clear sign of Jobs’ success. He made technology accessible, just as he did for music, and people were hooked.

“To me, Steve Jobs changed the world. He revolutionized technology and brought it to the common person instead of your typical computer nerd,” said sophomore Tai.

But not all are so optimistic. For instance, junior Katie said, “I really dislike Apple. I feel like once you buy one of their products, you can only buy their products…Plus, the never-ending stream of updates, whether it be iTunes or the frequent new versions of iPhones/iPads that come out, only over-complicates things.”

Yet the future of Apple, without the innovative genius Steve Jobs at its helm, hangs in the air.

“I think that the future of Apple is very bright,” said senior Erin. “Steve Jobs has left a wonderful legacy of incredible products, and there will be others like him who will continue his legacy at Apple.” But others are not so optimistic.

“It’s all downhill from here. They need another genius fast,” said Daly.

Or maybe, as Natalie said, the future of the company depends on whether or not “they continue inventing and improving, and don’t get hung up on making 53 minutely different models of the iPhone.”

Either way, Steve Jobs was a pioneer in the new-fangled region of personal technology. He spurred the technological advances responsible for moving Hockaday into a new age of technical savvy. Now, Hockaday students have only to anticipate that day when they can trade in their Toshibas for spiffy new paper-thin Macs.

– Annabel