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At DU, a students with headphones in their ears and an iPod tucked in a pocket or bag are a common sight. Some like it. Some don’t.
Thuyanh Astbury- Nguyen, a sophomore journalism major, said, “It is nice to listen to music on your way to class, especially if you love music,” adding, however, that such isolation may hinder you.
“You don’t get to work on building friendships because by listening to your iPod, you are blocking everyone out.
As Jiwei Gu, a sophomore Finance major, described it, “You are building a wall around yourself” by listening to your iPod, it is as though you are saying, “don’t talk to me.”
This isolation was noted before. In 2006, a Clarion article by Doug Young noted the effect of the iPod on DU’s society.
Young observed that people were no longer saying hello and that they were making “obvious attempts to not acknowledge other people’s existence.”
Four years later, one can see that the iPod still has that effect, and it is easy to understand why it does.
With the iPod, it is easy to pretend like you are changing the song that you are listening or “not hear someone” because you have your headphones on.
In the opinion of Young, we’re social creatures, and by purposely avoiding contact with others, we are defying our very nature. In addition, we are making DU an unfriendly place.
Furthermore, not only does the iPod affect a society as a whole, but it also affects people at an individual level.
This topic has been greatly debated and it is commonly believed that the use of the iPod as a means to create a wall around yourself will potentially cause problems in oral communication and social skills.
I’m not saying it is bad to listen to your iPod when walking across campus, I do it too, but when it is 100 percent of the time, it might be a problem.
Perhaps one day a week, walk with your friends, look around you, and listen to the sounds of nature mixed in with the everyday hustle and bustle of Denver.
Perhaps you will find this is a more pleasing “music” to listen to. In addition, you will be making DU a better, more friendly place.
