With the famous back-to-school deal promoted by Apple Inc. - in which every college student who purchased a laptop got a free iPod touch or nano - it seems that nearly everyone at school this year can be seen sporting little white buds in their ears.
Some universities have employed similar incentives, offering iPhones to some of their incoming freshmen with hopes of increasing communication between students and faculty. The University of Maryland, Oklahoma Christian University, Abilene Christian, and Freed-Hardeman have all announced that they will be distributing iPhones to their freshmen, allowing administrators to provide students with updates regarding canceled classes, delayed buses, campus crises, or just the cafeteria menu.
This initiative, however, may not necessarily produce the desired effect, as iPod usage during class time may interrupt the learning process. Theresa Lang, a professor in the theatre department, said she worries that iPods might enable students to "check out," both in the lecture hall and in their relationships with others.
"I'm afraid that iPods might limit our nature of communication," Lang said.
Lang said iPods limit the daily interactions between individuals, as people instead opt to tune out their surroundings while listening to their own personal playlists.
Greg Johnson, CSOM '12, said he usually prefers to listen to music while walking through campus. "I usually don't talk to anyone in between class," Johnson said. "It's nice to listen to music while you're walking. It's like a soundtrack."
Mp3 players have changed the way people socialize, as individuals may use iPods as an excuse to avoid daily pleasantries and interactions.
Tess Nicholson, A&S '12, said she puts on her headphones when she doesn't feel like socializing. Nicholson said that people rarely attempt to talk to her when she has her iPod on, and that listening to an iPod generally conveys that the person doesn't want to converse. "There are times when I don't want to talk to people, and that's when I put on the iPod," Nicholson said.
Others have made a concerted effort to remove their earbuds during these first weeks of classes. Sean Riordan, A&S '12, said he hasn't been using his iPod while riding the Newton shuttle bus because he wants to seem more approachable.
"These first couple weeks I have tried not to wear my iPod on the bus because I want to talk [with kids] and make friends," Riordan said.
Riordan cited the "'one-in, one-out' move," in which a person listens to only one headphone, permitting him to hear his music while still providing a window for any potential conversationalist.
Lang said that, whether in the classroom or on the school grounds, a student body that remains checked out could minimize interaction, and communication could thereby suffer. "We must remember the virtual communities we create for ourselves cannot stand in place for our real communities," Lang said.
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