First it was cell phones now it's IPod's

Hi, This is kind of an interesting topic and thanks for posting such an intriguing discussion. Yeah I definitely have to agree with you on this one,as the times have advanced and as science has started progressing with technological advancements people have started finding and enjoying the company of gadgets rather than the small gags that always seemed to be round the corner with a group of friends. They are so pre-occupied with their gadgets nowadays that they always seem to be in their own wonder land of music etc... that they barely seem to respond even remotely to anything beside them!! Yeah Of course Music takes you to another world but Dude there are limits to anything and anything in excess can even cause health hazards. People don't seem to be the old happy lot but have started isolating themselves and started living a life in their own small and hard pre-occupied shell.Thanks to the awesome gadgets in our life! They have given it a new meaning and definitely changed it! Lets just hope that the times don't change to something when people start living their life occupied with a robot rather than with a family of wife and kids!!

Oh I feel your pain!! I got into an argument here on Mylot with someone once over whether or not being on your cellphone in a store is rude. I believe it is, even if you aren't in line or anything, I think being on your phone in a store while you're shopping is rude, and the same goes for Ipods really. There's a time and place for things like that! Shut the darn thing off for 5 minutes, is that too much to ask?

Yes, they are. I have never had a cell phone. But this past Christmas my sister and brother-in-law got me an ipod. If I come into contact with people while wearing my ipod, it is usually when I'm going through a drive-thru. And I aways turn it off and pull the headphones out of my ears. I don't even want someone to think I'm listening to music. It just seems rude and dismissive.

I don't think it's preoccupation so much as narcissism. They need to project an image of carelessness and importance--look at me, I have an iPod and I'm cool. Or wow, I'm so important to people that I'm constantly on the phone and nobody can do without me! It is rude to do these things while you're interacting with others or being waited upon. I'd get fired in an instant if I were a clerk. Because I would just stand there at the counter and do nothing until they unplugged their earbuds or ended their call.

I listen to my iPod all the time during the day. When I'm driving, walking, running sleeping or whenever I can find time. But I make sure that I get it off my ears when someone is talking to me so that I can listen to what they are saying. I have seen people trying to listen to what others are saying even when listening to it, but it's just rude and I respect when someone is talking to me. bourne

people have a way to show their rudeness by using their gadgets. what irks me most are people who can afford to have these and try to flash their possession and use it in public and feels like they are way too cool in their gadget. i don't have any thing against those people who use those things in public. but you can distinguish people who tend to be rude and act rudely and boastfully with their ipod. like they can't get near anybody just because they are wearing or listening to it. and they try to hide or sit so far away from people just to make sure their ipod will stay safe in their hands. like they are ever so afraid that someone passing by will just have bad intentions with their ipod. like they are some special kind of people just for having the ipod. i think that they should not sit in public places and like owe the place and not want any other people just sit them cause it is just rude. if they want to make sure their possession will be safe they should use it in their homes or in private place.

I guess it depends on the culture 3SB. I see all the complains about how rude it is when people talk on their phone while shopping, in the bus, walking down the street and all I can think of is "What's all the fuss about?" It would be rude if they were using the phone while you were talking to them but why should it be any concern to us if someone chooses to use the phone while engaged in their own activities? I heard some bus drivers in America will ask someone to step off the bus if he/she catches the person using a cellphone even though he can't actually hear the conversation. Is it a personal insult? Who cares if they are on their phone it's none of our business. I guess we all have to adjust to the different views of each individual social culture.

actually i prefer phone over anything except tVs and laptops

I really prefer phones than Ipods, because if you have a good phone, it can do everything that an ipod can do! But the IPod is cuter