Hannah Kintner (The Beacon)
By Hannah Kintner, Staff Commentary
Have you ever said hello to a friend or asked someone a question only to be met with a cold silence? You look over and, sure enough, they have their headphones in and their communication skills turned off. Awkward... it's not a good feeling, and it's instances like these that have caused me to feel bitter every time I see someone walking across campus with their headphones in. Do you really need to block out the world so badly?
I get it, you just love music and sometimes feel you do need to block out the world. Well guess what, there are tons of amazing people on this campus and by wearing those headphones you are telling each and every one of them that you want nothing to do with them.
Don't you think between texting and smart phones we have enough portable technological distractions to keep us from interacting with one another? You might as well take online classes if you're not here to enjoy the people you're sharing this campus with.
Even beyond the social aspect of it, it's fall, and with those songs implanted in your ears all the time, you're missing out on one of the best parts of the season. It's so cool stepping on dried leaves and hearing nature imitate the audio clip your computer plays when you empty your trash bin. It's kind of fun walking across the quad with the tapping of rain on your umbrella as your own personal soundtrack. And sometimes it can be really helpful to be able to hear those longboards coming up behind you so you know when to dodge out of the way.
I'm not trying to call people who use iPods all the time bitter or completely antisocial. I just think that maybe they don't see how they come across to other people, and if they want to get the most out of their college experiences-and their lives in general, for that matter-it's time to give the headphones a rest.
Hannah Kintner is a senior english major. She can be reached at kintner13@up.edu
