iPods are much popular than Beer among US students

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Apple's ever-popular iPods are more "in" than beer at American college campuses, according to a recent Student Monitor survey of 1,200 college students at 100 U.S. schools.

The American students would go with the technology rather than the beverages if they had to choose between a supply of beer and an iPod as their sole possession, Eric Weil, a spokesman with Student Monitor, said today.

The survey, which indicated that undergraduates now speculate it is more “cool” to be holding an iPod music player than a mug of beer, revealed that 73% of 1,200 students surveyed rated iPods as an "in" item or activity than any other item on a list of fashionable items and activities associated with college life.

Weil says, “We knew iPods were pervasive on campus as a learning and entertainment device, but we didn't see it rating that high,” adding that “But I don’t see any reason for Anheuser-Busch and Coors to worry.”

According to the survey, iPods which were the No. 1 "in" thing on campuses; 73% of students mentioned it, were even more popular with Hispanic students (77%) and women (76%).

Drinking beer and Facebook.com, the social networking site, shared a close second place, each rated as "in" by 71 % of college students. MySpace.com rated 58 %. The list involved text messaging (66 %), and downloading music (66 %) and coffee (60 %). "Drinking other alcohol" was considered "in" among 67 %.

This is not the first time that drinking beer has been voted out of the top list of “in” things to do on campus, rather in 1997 beer was voted out of the lead position by the World Wide Web.

Ridgewood, N.J.-based Student Monitor, a research firm that focuses on college students, has been conducting the survey for 18 years.

Although beer might soon regain its No. 1 position, as it speedily did a decade ago, the iPod's fame is still "a remarkable sign," Weil said. "For those who believe there's an excessive amount of drinking on campus, now there's something else that's common on campuses."