Mrs. Kim |
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 Working
in the cafeteria, I have seen how the use of iPods has changed students
outside of the classroom. Instead of a noisy room full of rambunctious
teenagers ready to socialize, some students have tuned each other
out and tuned into their playlists. Sometimes it seems like those
little white wires are pumping sedatives into the students’
ears along with songs, not that I’m complaining.
Unfortunately,
I see a lot more separation between the students who come from homes
with enough money to afford iPods and those that don’t. The
students can tell immediately who has the headphones and who isn’t
so lucky. I’ve heard that some students have started buying
just the headphones and walking around with them in their ears and
the unattached cord hidden in their pocket.
And
that actually might not be the best idea. I’ve spoken with
some bus monitors in the teacher’s lounge, who have seen fights
break out over iPods. For some students, an iPod is one more status
symbol that they can use against someone who doesn’t meet
the popularity standards. For others, iPods have provided a way
to privitize public spaces.
And
if that’s not enough, there has been a spike in the amount
of theft in the school. iPods have been the number one item stolen
this year.
Additional Resources
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