Airplane isolation
I don’t really get the anti-ipod-or-other-headphoney thing. Yes, you’re shutting yourself out from some parts of the external world — the sounds — but so what? I shut myself out from the sun at noon in the summer, from the cold in the winter, from the rain and the wind and the snow and the hail. I shut my eyes out from most of the brightness with sunglasses, the feel of my feet on the ground with shoes, etc, etc. Why is sound given such a privileged position?
Yes: with music you are keeping yourself distant from other people in a way that you are not with a hat. But think of how many random strangers you’ve had good conversations with, and compare it to how many you’ve had meaningless (”Do you know how to get here?”) or negative ones with. Now, some people may feel that it’s worth it to have the option, but not everyone, and the rest of us certainly aren’t obliged to be willing to talk to people in order that you can occasionally have a wonderful airplane conversation with a stranger. This is something I have never had, but I know I come off standoffish — even in writing — so perhaps this is why people mostly leave me alone on flights. I have had nice waiting-for-delayed-airplane-or-other-long-line conversations, though.
Especially on a long plane ride. It’s one thing to have a conversation with someone on a hour long flight, it’s another to be stuck next to a talker on a 7 hour one.
The other thing I don’t understand is how listening to music is considered more isolating — more unacceptably isolating — than wanting to read. Of course people will interrupt readers, but they tend not to interrupt listeners as much — but I would much prefer to have my music interrupted than my book.
November 7th, 2005 at 8:33 pm
Yes. I also don’t understand why listening to an iPod is considered rude. I never play it so loud I can’t hear what is going on around me, and what’s wrong with wanting music in the background of my life?
I let my students use their iPods when they are in the computer classroom writing. It is against the college’s rules, but if they are used to writing with music in the background, what is the problem? I also let them instant message, as long as they are working productively. I know most teachers would be outraged by this, but let’s face it–we multitask these days, and some of us really can’t deal with silent, focused work.
November 8th, 2005 at 12:25 am
I was listening to music on headphones in the grocery store, and someone interrupted me (to ask me where I’d gotten my jacket). It happens.
At work I’ve been listening to music on headphones too. I’m thinking that I may be asked to stop soon, as my workplace is not the sort of place where people do that sort of thing. If I am asked, I will tell them that I find it a lot easier to work with music than with conversations going on behind me (we all work in cubicles). Dvorak is background music that I can keep in the background. A coworker talking impatiently to a difficult client, on the other hand, is really distracting.
November 8th, 2005 at 1:37 am
I can hear enough that cars don’t run me over. But it is sort of isolating, I agree, so what? It’s not rude to not want constant social interaction.
Pi, I am all for allowing people to listen to music while writing — much less distracting because you don’t need to listen to people talking, as MS points out. Luckily I work somewhere I can have headphones. Though often I forget to bother.
November 8th, 2005 at 10:49 am
Of course we should all want social interaction 24/7. If we don’t, there must be something wrong with us.
I don’t see how iPods are any different from books, magazines, laptops, staring out the window, etc. I suppose it’s just more difficult to interrupt. Surely interrupting someone’s reading/typing/thinking is ok because it’s done to strike up conversation - something we should all want. But pulling off someone’s headphones would be *rude*. Bah.
November 8th, 2005 at 11:13 am
A while back there was a proposal to ban running with headphones in a nearby city, but the city counsel pointed out the city had no authority to prohibit deaf people running….
I talk to people who have headphones on, same as I talk to people when there’s music playing. Why not? The only difference I can see is they’re not subjecting me to their taste in music, which I appreciate.