So you’re sitting in your seat on the subway, minding your own business, iPod grasped firmly in hand, headphones snuggly positioned in your ears at such a volume that would cause anyone else but an iPod user immediate loss of hearing. Over the music, you somehow notice a figure approaching. You look the other way, pretending not to see the growing shadow and, in an instance, the pounding noise in your headphones goes mute and all you can hear is the grinding of the train’s wheels against the tracks. All you can feel is the presence of someone you have yet to identify lurking overhead. But then, somehow, your headphones resume playing music…but not the same song, not at the same volume, not even music that you recognize ever being on your iPod. Gaining the courage to turn your head and face the unidentified shadow, you don’t see the sight of the dark, movie-like creature that you wildly expected but rather a typical, middle-aged man smiling, with a white cord extending from his ears, coincidentally, into your iPod headphone jack and yours into his. You can’t help but return a genuine smile, unsure of which is more enjoyable, seeing a stranger enjoy your style of music or seeing a stranger dance like a fool to your style of music. Sound like an unbelievable scenario? Well believe it, because I have seen tons of people dance like fools while listening to their iPods and it just makes me smile. What is truly unbelievable though is that for the already fashionable iPod, another trend is on the rise, taking New York’s iPod-bearing citizens by complete surprise. With an appropriate name like jack sharing and friendly images being conjured in my mind every time I evoke the word sharing, who dare refuse their jack to a complete stranger?

For a city like New York, which is eclectic, exciting and entertaining (that’s a lot of e’s) among other things, this trend can certainly be beneficial. Certain schools have banned iPod usage during school hours on the grounds that iPod’s encourage anti-social behavior; iPod usage during class…now that would be a reasonable argument. However, not only do I believe that iPods are social, keeping teens up to date with the latest music and trends, I think they can also promote dialogue between peers.

Curiosity motivates people throughout life to try things out of the norm…at an early age I was unsure why men and women have separate bathrooms and, with a profound knowledge of Curious George, began a little investigation of my own. Long story short…I found out. No differently, a student can view a peer in the halls with an iPod and, out of sheer curiosity, approach, resulting in a discussion of current music trends and ultimately leading to further conversation. The subway iPod swap functions in the same manner. People are interested in what other people are doing with their lives, what foods they are eating, what they are reading, and especially what music they have playing on their iPods (hence the popularity of celebrity magazines). Jack sharing can provide exposure to different cultures, a leap back in musical history for those absorbed in the present or an introduction to the new age for those living in the past. You can meet people, learn about people, and even develop friendships, sometimes without even saying a single word.

Friendly gestures can impact individual’s lives greatly. Something as small as a complete stranger enjoying your style of music, even for a minute, can make you feel appreciated and rewarded. So lets make this newest trend happen! Keep your jacks visible, your playlists fresh, consider even making a t-shirt that says, “Feel Free to Jack Into My iPod,” so everyone around you can tell that, despite your outwardly tough appearance, you’re really no different then one of the many teddy bears sitting atop your bed at home and that you too learned your kindergarten lesson: sharing is caring.

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This entry was posted by Zach on Friday, August 4th, 2006 at 11:20 am