music, headphones and social isolationism

[Silly Moustache]

Times and aspects of social customs surely have changed in recent years.

The use of earphones (buds?) in public places is isolationist, similar to the way that youngsters (and not so young) cling to their smart phones - rather than confront other people, their children, and reality in general.

This may be due to the density of population now, or simply due to following a trend.

This is not, however a totally new way of communing with music.

Early Radio broadcasts were made via the "cat's whisker" (Crystal radio) which was essentially a solitary activity.

My generation experienced the "transistor radio" -small pieces with a single earphone, that I remember using under the bedsheets in the early '60s. (AFN and Radio Luxembourg - later the pirate stations).

Then, the era of the stereogram, and "hi-fi" separates - a far more a social way to listen to music (although earphones were available).

The "Walkman", then portable CD player, then the I-pod transformed listening habits, making it a solitary activity again.

There was also the 8-track and cassette car stereos - a form of solitary listening whilst demonstrating to others your musical interest ..or perhaps power.

Then there are those that like background "noise" but don't really listen ....back to my earlier post.

[sweiss]

I prefer listening to recorded music with headphones or earbuds.
For me there's nothing isolationist about it....I just don't want distractions when I listen. On the other hand, if I'm talking to someone, I don't want loud music distracting me from the conversation. I guess I just don't multi-task very well that way.




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[fazool]

Originally Posted by Silly Moustache

...The use of earphones (buds?) in public places is isolationist, similar to the way that youngsters (and not so young) cling to their smart phones - rather than confront other people, their children, and reality in general. ...
Early Radio broadcasts were made via the "cat's whisker" (Crystal radio) which was essentially a solitary activity.
.....

hmmmm....this made me think.....maybe my discomfort isn't the social aspect of isolation and the world-separation.

I just feel so sensory-deprived when I'm wearing earbuds. I hate wearing them at work. Unless I'm paying attention to music specifically, I don't want to remove my senses from the world around me.

I could never imagine driving a car with earbuds in - I want to hear everything around me AND have my music playing.

[Dirk Hofman]

Originally Posted by fazool

I just feel so sensory-deprived when I'm wearing earbuds. I hate wearing them at work. Unless I'm paying attention to music specifically, I don't want to remove my senses from the world around me.

I could never imagine driving a car with earbuds in - I want to hear everything around me AND have my music playing.

I'm with that in most cases for sure.

People have been walking around with headphones since the Walkman erupted on the scene since about 1980, now almost 40 years ago. Not sure there's really anything new going on.

[Otterhound]

Originally Posted by Dirk Hofman

I'm with that in most cases for sure.

People have been walking around with headphones since the Walkman erupted on the scene since about 1980, now almost 40 years ago. Not sure there's really anything new going on.

Totally wrong .
My first transistor radio had an earphone .
At least , that is what they were called then .
I remember people walking around with their earphone in their ear .
I never cared for them and , quite frankly , hope to never need a hearing aid because that is what it looks like to me .

[rogthefrog]

Originally Posted by fazool

Now, when running, where my goal is to get into a zone and disconnect from the pain, it is exactly what I want.

[...]

I see so many people all over, everywhere, with earbuds in and I think they are disconnecting themselves from the world around them

You answered your own question there, (ear)bud.

I don't wear earphones or earbuds when safety requires attention to the outside world. I'd *never* wear them if I were running on a public street, for example (I'd wear them on a treadmill because there's no oncoming traffic or cyclists to worry about). Similarly I don't wear them while driving, riding a bicycle, doing work with power tools, or anything where being mindful of the sounds around me is necessary for safety. I believe it's illegal to drive or ride bikes/motorcycles with earbuds in, at least where I live.

I find noise pollution extremely damaging to my concentration and general well-being. Almost pathologically so. Traffic noise, construction, the rustling of coats being donned and doffed, keyboards clacking, people chatting, phone calls, coffee machines, chairs rolling, people chewing, all those things give me headaches and reduce my productivity by a huge amount. Controlling what goes into my ears takes care of that.

This is true even when I'm not working. I guess "my goal is to get into a zone and disconnect from the pain" of dealing with idiots and noise pollution. Hence the isolation.

[ombudsman]

Most of my listening has always been at home, on speakers, by myself. So it's isolationist, but in private.

Not that I necessarily mind having someone there, but if I'm listening, I want to listen, not talk. We can talk when I'm changing the record.

I guess I feel that people that are checked out in public are often doing me a favor, except when they don't watch where they are walking. But I don't know that they are doing themselves a favor. There is a lot to be said for being where you are and not trying to be somewhere else, particularly not a place you can never reach.

[Dirk Hofman]

Originally Posted by Otterhound

Totally wrong .
My first transistor radio had an earphone .
At least , that is what they were called then .
I remember people walking around with their earphone in their ear .
I never cared for them and , quite frankly , hope to never need a hearing aid because that is what it looks like to me .

Great, even longer.

[magnawing]

I was doing some sub-surface work in NYC and had a woman threaten to call the cops when I touched her shoulder to keep her from walking into an open manhole. She, of course, had earbuds in and was so engrossed in her phone that she neither saw or heard me warning her until I physically touched her. I can't stand not being able to hear what's going on around me...could be from years of working in Emergency services and needing to be aware of my surroundings at all times.


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[Parlorman]

I prefer using earphones or earbuds to listen to music or watch videos or TV, but good quality. I use Sure 535 monitor earbuds or Bose noise cancelling earphones. I like the immersion (what some call isolation) and the sound quality.

However, I never use them skiing, walking, motorcycling, driving, etc. I want to be fully aware and involved when I'm going things like that. I don't normally listen to music when I drive at all.

[imwjl]

I don't care what people think. I just want my AirPods to arrive and hope they fit.

I'm doing a project this week where the associates at back end are 325 and 2000 miles away. People - staff and customers - don't get why I have headphones on. Those people are doing software reconfiguration for our sites as I take care of the people and hands on aspects.

Yesterday there were several times when I was already in enough cables. For empathy on where people are on mobile tech overall, one of our old school department managers honestly didn't know one could and that I was doing both voice and video conf calls from an iPhone.

When the old school person grumbled about our method taking jobs away, I pointed out our competition and brought up how much more is available for his paycheck when a project doesn't require a pair of plane tickets and putting two people up for 3 days.

Still, I think I really want those silly looking AirPods. They don't plug the ears like bud-type, will help get some freedom from phone, and the solo/mono feature should be tremendous for work. My January order's said March 7 arrival for a long time.

Weeks like this one make a little time with my B&W over the ear type nice. I believe I'm plenty social and will be safe if the last 10-20 minutes of the day are music with nice headphones.

[fazool]

Im wearing my earbuds now because my office mate is cranking his awful music and turns it louder every time the DJ comes on to hear them chatter.

I've been playing metal and slowly crnaking it louder but he is oblivious

[architype]

Originally Posted by fazool

Im wearing my earbuds now because my office mate is cranking his awful music and turns it louder every time the DJ comes on to hear them chatter.

I've been playing metal and slowly crnaking it louder but he is oblivious

I'm tellin' ya...notify HR and have a memo sent out...otherwise he ain't going to change.

[Song]

Originally Posted by fazool

Im wearing my earbuds now because my office mate is cranking his awful music and turns it louder every time the DJ comes on to hear them chatter.

I've been playing metal and slowly crnaking it louder but he is oblivious

A song from Black Sabbath 13 would be appropriate for your new workmate.

[Wengr]

In certain situations I really value the isolation that earbuds and smartphones provide.
A few hours in a surgical center today waiting for my mother to have eye surgery, and like every waiting room I have been in around here, for some reason we have to be subjected to Ellen, and the View. No thanks.