The Nicotine Addiction of an IPOD

Recently in class, there was a heated discussion about cigarettes and there addictive effects on people. I have smoked a few but never felt a need for them, I just did it because I purchased a pack and I would be damn if I would just throw out that money. Once I was finished however, I never purchased another pack, I didn't go through the withdrawals and a couple of times when I was out and about with friends I would even share theirs...but that was months ago and I haven't the faintest desire to try again.

However, there is something that I and a few hundred thousand of my fellow NYers can not live without...and that is our IPOD. I can't help but to compare the two as I observe on a daily basis people relationship with their IPOD. IPODs are small and fit perfectly into your pocket (just like a pack of cigarettes), they come in different varieties (slim aka Shuffle, lights aka Nano, filtered aka the new model with video and slim and unfiltered aka any model previously released). How many times have you seen people that as soon as they leave their office building to head for the train, pull out their pack and light up the screen to find the soothing release of song?

When I am out and about on weekends and I don't have my IPOD, sometimes I feel as if I missing something...I am missing that urge to surround myself with my music and drown out all that is around me...from boisterous teenagers to lost tourist...just as the perception of not wanting to talk to people that smoke, I think the same holds true for people that are listening to their IPODs. Is this a good thing?? No, the one benefit of a cigarette is that you have 15 minutes twice a day to go out and puff and usually you would strike up a conversation with a fellow smoker that you often see at the same time and if you were lucky they became your buddy and a friendship may develop if from nothing else a common love of the smoke. I highly doubt the day will come when we will be able to stop what we are doing to head out of the building to stand around for 10-15 minutes listening to songs that are pent up in our minds. But think how awesome it would be to have that and to meet fellow IPODers and to discuss what you are listening to and to find new music through your "listening buddy." I am hopefully that this may happen someday, but until then I am just find with my little pack of music.