If you were to ask a classroom full of students how many of them own iPods more than half of them would raise their hand. iPods are popular amongst the young people. I see a lot of people sporting them around no matter where I am: the store, campus, work. Have you ever seen someone you know around town listening to their iPod? You don’t know how to react when you see them due to a couple of factors.
First of all, you don’t know if they will even hear you if you said “Hey” because you don’t know how loud they are blasting their music, which creates a debate within your own mind as to whether you should approach them or leave them be.
Second, with those earphones snug in their ear, on the outside it looks like they don’t want to be bothered, which is perhaps why they have it in the first place, so they can go into la-la land. With this thought in mind you think it’s better to leave them alone.
From time to time you will run into a buddy, face to face. In this situation the factors don’t apply. The two of you stop in your tracks to exchange a few words. Your buddy listens to you half-assed by just taking out one earpiece. Courtesy seems like it’s dieing along side with chivalry. Sometimes your buddy doesn’t even take out any earpiece, waves, and keeps walking. Leaving you feel as rejected as last night when you asked that particular babe-a-licous out. Occasionally, your buddy will take out both earpieces.
Do people not like to listen to their natural surroundings anymore? Footsteps, rustling leaves and inaudible chatter are being replaced with thumping drums, shredding guitars and soothing or screaming voices (depending what genre of music you prefer).
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
