Back in the early days of ringtones, it might not have been too unreasonable to think that these little sounds would be a passing fancy, as ephemeral as certain clothing fashion trends that thankfully leave the catwalk almost as soon as they arrived there. But while ringtones undoubtedly attract criticism from a variety of sources, they seem to increase in popularity every day. And from a current perspective, it looks as those these distinctive cell phone sounds could be around for some time to come.



With is very nearly a multi-million dollar industry, it is obviously in the interest of the companies that provide these tones and tunes to encourage public interest in their wares, and though there are many aggressive advertising campaigns surrounding the cell phone sounds it seems that most consumers are already convinced. With ringtones becoming an important part of today’s youth culture, the currency of the sounds seems unlikely to abate any time soon.

And youth culture is the driver for an enormous segment of the consumer world, so it doesn’t really matter that it is largely the under twenty-five population that buys into the fashionable appeal of these ringtones. With a significance to this age bracket that cannot be underestimated, the ringtone industry is likely to only increase its hold, spreading its influence into other areas like tentacles. Billboard magazine already lists a ringtone chart in the same way it records the sales of music releases – and rightly so, as it is likely that ringtone sales will, in fact, out-perform those of music CDs in the very near future.

So whether you love them or loathe them, it looks as though ringtones are destined to be a part of the popular culture that surrounds us. Harnessed by teenagers and young adults as the ideal way to make a personal statement, ringtones are a relatively inoffensive mode of expression. The older generation might not like it, but it seems about time to admit that those of us of a certain age inflicted enough heartache upon those of our parents’ age when we had the chance. The method of communication might have become more technologically advanced, but the message remains the same. And as far as modes of expression go, the humble ringtone seems harmless enough.