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No matter where you go these days you see people walking around with wire dangling from their ears. More than likely there is an iPod on the other end of that wire. People no longer have to worry about making small talk with strangers on buses or subways. Pop in the ear buds and you're in your own little world.

But what of the things we miss out on when we're tuned out to our surroundings? Such attachment to the iPod puts safety in jeopardy in cases of emergency. iPods are turned up loudly to drown out background noise. When emergency announcements are made, those messages are also covered up by loud music. It can also lead to embarrassing situations for both parties when someone doesn't realize another person is listening to an iPod and tries to strike up a conversation.

While iPods allow the listener to listen to uninterrupted music, they miss important features of radio, such as news and traffic reports. Many commuters' frustrations would be reduced if they had been listening to radio traffic reports instead of that favorite tune. Among the useless tidbits of information on morning radio programs, there is also useful community information and news updates. It isn't cool to arrive at work and be the only person who hasn't heard about an important event that occurred in the hours since you left work.

iPods are great for many reasons, but don't let your desire to appear tech saavy send signals that you are out of touch with reality. Rather than hiding in the world of your iPod, connect with people at every opportunity. Learn things from other people. Observe your surroundings. Rather than listen to the same music all the time, share something you know with those around you.

Learn more about this author, Kesi Garcia.
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