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The Psychology Behind Headphones
pvt_medic writes "The BBC has an interesting article today about portable music players and personal space. The article is on the research that Dr Michael Bull has done on portable music players. He analyzes them as a "tool whereby users manage space, time and the boundaries around the self." This article goes on to analyze the social and psychological aspects related to listening to music in public with headphones. A good quick read for those who do this."
Some of us have to use headphones, as our music of choice violates obsenity laws and may damage small buildings...
"Faith: Belief without evidence in what is told by one who speaks without knowledge, of things without parallel." - A.B.
...because the programmer over the cube wall was constantly humming songs to herself. There's nothing more maddening than listening to someone hum while you're trying to code. Headphones were mandatory.
I dropped the headphones when I got an office. What a blessing.
I wish I had more opportunity to do this at work. Being able to separate yourself and focus on your work without being distracted it a heaven-sent.
Alas, I'm on a helpdesk. That doesn't work out too well.
thelikesofwhich.com
So maybe manufacturers should start advertising in units of personal space instead of the rounded down GB.
Are you Corn Fed?
Unfortunately a lot of the music other people listen to sucks. I'm glad they wear their headphones, it doesn't shield them, it sheilds me.
The University of Stating the Bleedin' Obvious ?
There are places where the networks are not touching,and there are places where they are-Boeing's Lori Gunter
Most studies sole purpose is to validate the career of the person doing the study. Any useful results are incidental.
I prefer being ignored by someone with headphones on than by someone putting their index fingers in their ears and yelling "I CANT HEAR YOU LALALALALALALAAAA".
I thought that was what my Tardis was for.
would be an analysis of how ivory-tower eggheads over-analyze ever goddamned little thing in a futile attempt to make themselves seem relevant and get one paper closer to that all-important tenure.
the preceding comment is my own and in no way reflects the opinion of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
Remember, the average person spends about 50% of their daily free time at home watching TV.
I DON'T WATCH TV!
I, um, spend my time here... and listening to songs thats have gratuitous amounts of cowbell.
Amazingly enough, BBC News' website is not a scientific journal, and therefore is not the publisher of his scientific research.
Don't blame me; I'm never given mod points.
Now if only we could force all in car stereo systems to be headphone only.
No more will I be woken at 6am by jonny patel parking his Ford Escort outside my house playing bangra at volume 11.
btw www.advancedmp3players.co.uk has some extremely sexy personal space management kit.
Worst
is, do these same findings apply to those of us who walk around with a very large, heavy boombox on one shoulder? I would think that it should apply more since we're not only reclaiming our own space, but also the space of all of those around us...
I can count to 1023 on my hands. Ask me about #132.
Maybe we need a wearable version of those hotel 'do not disturb' signs. It would fit around your neck and display your request that you be left alone on your chest for all to see. It would also be reversible so you can let everyone know when you want your bed linens changed.
> Or could it be that they just want to listen to music?
Shush! He's an "expert"! He's got qualifications and everything.
007's "The Living Daylights" showed us that you can also use headphones to strangle people. With a side bonus of looking cool while you do it.
s/about the sidewalk vendors/about the ex-girlfriends/g
That, and the air conditioner had yet to be invented.
Killfile(TGK)
No trees were killed in the creation of this post. However, many electrons were inconvenienced.
I didn't know iPods could manage Space-Time. I guess that deserves the higher price.
How gauche. I take it you've never managed your boundaries? Transformed space and time? Hell, I bet you've never operated a single-aspect transformative device, let alone a multi-faceted one...
ABSURDITY, n.: A statement or belief manifestly inconsistent with one's own opinion.
Congratulations, Dr Bull. Your 'research' delineates your name.
Yeah, but I have to crank the music - it's the only thing that drowns out that goddamn ringing in my ears....
ABSURDITY, n.: A statement or belief manifestly inconsistent with one's own opinion.
One of my coworkers once said:
It's going to be a headphone day.
What he meant by that is that he needed to block out all the annoying noise coming out of other people's mouths and so on as they came back and asked questions. I do that sometimes too.
Regarding your .sig:
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We do not live in the 21st century. We live in the 20 second century.
Sing. That's what I did when I cycled. :)
--RJ
No, you're not necessarily a criminal. But you're certainly no logician either.
"If you're thinking what I'm thinking, you're right." -
Uncle Leo: Will someone answer that damn phone?!
*shields coffee with hand*
Well, we have Sue Scott with The Calico Monologues and Big Mike Thompson will do a series of tabby imitations. Later on, our special guests, The Nyquil Trio, will sing some songs about cats, then I'll talk about a loser detective and the case of the Swede who didn't like meatballs.
The Independent: Reverend Spooner Arrested in Friar Tuck Incident - ISIHAC, Historical Headlines
Through interviews with Walkman owners and now iPod buyers, he found that listening to music acts as a shield, aura or cocoon.
These must have been difficult interviews to get:
"Sir... uh... sir? Would you like to participate... sir? Can you hear me? Sir?!"
"Hi"
"..."
"Great weather today!"
"..."
"..."
"..."
Everyone's already so afraid to talk to strangers regardless of headphones, I just gave up. May as well have music instead of silence.
Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.........