In 2019 it seems as though airpods have taken over the world. Students everywhere are flocking to the Apple Store to invest their hard-earned money in this new-age social media status symbol.
COC student Brandon Dugger notes that his motivation stems more from their small size and compactness than their seeming social value; with the amount of physical activity he takes part in on a daily basis, the airpods functionality was a huge selling point. However, Dugger also says that they are a great tool to avoid those around him “when I wears my dreads down, they can’t see my airpods so I can just pretend to ignore them so I don’t have to talk to them.”
Rick Howe, a psychology professor at COC says that this in many ways is the exact reason why airpods and school do not mix. He says that when he sees his students in class wearing them, or even just one he’s “not too happy about it and usually will ask them to stop.”
This age-old back and forth between teacher and student is nothing new, but it definitely has changed over the years.
Howe laughingly mentions the similarities between tape recorders and the early iPod versions to the seeming airpod epidemic we deal with today.
Luis Cortes, another COC student simply noted that his desire stems solely for their symbolic value; that their functionality in many ways is no different than the classic earphones that seem so distant in the progression of civilization.
The false air of confidence displayed by Cortes and others as they walk around campus with their airpods in, pretending to ignore those around them certainly is indicative of the culture surrounding the promotion of airpods.
We are sure to continue to have more problems like these as technology advances.
If one thing is certain, it is that the college environment at COC is one that encourages the use of technology within reason.
So unless you are in class, your airpods can freely sit in your ears no matter your personal motivation for doing so.
