Forums → The Tavern → Are You Listening Honey?
| 19 | 2796 |
With the advent of portable music storing devices stuffed with immense amounts of songs, sound-cancelling ridiculously huge earplugs and the like....we often see people stuffing their ears all day long, blah blah blah.
How has that affected you? Are you one of those audiophiles who goes through life listening more to choruses than people talking to you? Do you feel that it has affected your hearing if so?
I'm one of those guys who sticks his earplugs in, broke 5 pairs with heavy usage over 2 years, bless me, and stumbles through life on bad days. Or when I feel bored by the social situation. Which of course has lead to numerous times when my friends or acquaintances have gone over the cliff in rages. Got me into trouble alot with my ex. Tempers and theatrics and all.
- 19 Replies
YES!!!
Just yesterday I walked to my nearest supermarket (10 minutes walk but 2 large road crossings) and almost got run over by a swarm of buses and a learner motorcyclist because I had my earphones in. The positive far outweighs the negative for me though, I love listening to music on a walk because I end up stepping in time with the music and singing along, it lifts my mood!
I only really use them when I'm walking somewhere or getting to my lectures on the London underground though, so I haven't worn this pair out. I've had them for 2 years, actually.
Got me into trouble alot with my ex.
Really? Um.. which ex? Facebook me :3
The wisdom of social etiquette used to dictate that putting your headphones on in social situations, like using your mobile phone, is unacceptably rude as it clearly indicates you have no interest in said social situation, but instead of removing yourself from it, you merely declare your boredom.
This aside the behaviour is only a recent phenomenon due to the recent availability of technology (gone are the days where people would carry boom boxes on their shoulder unless they were on their way to a cypher). Merely it is a sign of the times where communities aren't really communities anymore but people acting in proximity to each other striving to keep their world entirely private and self-centered. This is what's wrong with society today, having realised this I stopped wearing headphones in public places.
However I did purchase a very nice pair of bluetooth Sennheisers with lossless quality wireless sound, so I do feel compelled to use them if I'm training by myself or doing some menial house chore and nobody else is around. It sure came in handy when I had to spend three hours a day for a week scrubbing the car after driving through a horde of locusts.
I do listen a lot to music when I shuttle from home to wherever I'm headed each morning and evening (I'm shuttling over an hour so music is essential^^). Recently I even bought a headset because I kinda don't like the earplugs, only to hear shortly after of a study stating that wearing headsets highly raises risk of accident.. oh well, I'm still alive and aware of the risk^^
But the difference is, during the times I'm listening to music, I wouldn't be talking to people anyway. Except if I meet someone I know in the train, and then I take them off.
I'm aware that people have better tools now to isolate themselves than in past times, but I think the need was there since longer than the technology. Of course like Strop said the society also changed a bit..
I listen to music except when I'm dragged to church. Got this new iHome studio headset thingy... Awesome. Good ear muffs in the winter too ^_^
Great sound quality, I NEVER almost EVER talk to guests. I'm very shy *_* xD
I listen to a lot of music with my headphones, but I be sure to remove them at once when someone is talking to me. I do get concerned when I try to talk to someone and they can't or won't listen due to headphones (especially since they know I'm speaking), but it's even more annoying when said people have their headphones up to Volume 100. In a library. When I'm studying for an exam. I'm not gonna point fingers, Club members and Metalheads, but you're not exactly doing a favor yourself, damaging your hearing by playing your music as loud as your headphones can produce.
Honestly I have a MP3 player but I never use it. I am not a huge music fan where I feel I need to listen to it all day long. It really bugs me when people have their earbuds in when someone is trying to talk to them.
, but it's even more annoying when said people have their headphones up to Volume 100.
This also bugs me. I don't need to listen to your music!
Do you feel that it has affected your hearing if so?
No.
1) I almost never use earbuds.
2) When I do I put my MP3 on the lowest setting so I can hear the music but I can still hear the outside world.
I ALWAYS have one headphone in. If no one is talking to me, I'll have both in. I don't really like going outside and doing something unless I have some sort of music going, even if its just me singing.
Hey look, I have my headphones in now. Kpop, bro.
I really hate it when I'm riding my bike with my headphones in, and my friends could be right beside me and I don't notice :<
The positive far outweighs the negative for me though, I love listening to music on a walk because I end up stepping in time with the music and singing along, it lifts my mood!
^ This.
This is what's wrong with society today, having realised this I stopped wearing headphones in public places.
I would have to agree, simply because I only take out my headphones if I'm in a place I WANT to be. I'm not going to stop listening to my music just because it's rude to do so in a public place. I don't randomly talk to people in the supermarket, I get my stuff and get the heck out of there. Heck, I use self-checkout anyways. Now if I wasn't, I would take out a headphone and have a nice minute long chat with the cashier.
(I'm shuttling over an hour so music is essential^^)
I ride the bus for an an a bit over an hour; your statement is so very very true.
I listen to my music as loud as I can go without other people hearing my music. So if it's a crowded place, don't try to call my name because I won't hear you even if you had an air horn. That's the beauty of sound insulating headphones ^,^
I also listen to my music when I want to focus on studying ( the rare times I actually study). In math class, I the only reason I'm passing is because my teacher lets me have one headphone in during class, and on tests I use both. I also do that in my Drivers Ed class, simply because it's a class with underclassmen, who I don't know or want to know.
I don't even really care if it's headphones, if there is any other way to play music, I'll do it. It's a part of my soul @_@
but it's even more annoying when said people have their headphones up to Volume 100. In a library.
"Excuse me, sir, but you seem to have misunderstood the function of headphones and thus lost the privilege of a mobile music playing device. You will be given back your music playing device when you come back with a 500 word essay on the proper use of headphones. Have a nice day."
Anyway. I do listen to music a lot. Perhaps because I have grown used to having (meaningful) noise around me all the time, either from the tv or from my computer, and when I then need to take a walk or take the train or something that is going to take a while, I will exclude myself from society by listening to music. Except society, especially the parts of it that wants my money, tend to ignore this exclusion...
I do take off my headphones if I am paying for my groceries or someone wants to talk to me, though at times, when it is just "You need to pay this" combined with my earplugs and as always a low volume, I can hear what is said just fine, and I won't remove them.
But this is usually an exception rather than the rule.
As for my hearing, I think I have already done enough damage to that without the earplugs and headphones, so I will try to keep it at a reasonable volume, only raising it past that if the music is particularly good, and always lowering it again afterwards.
I actually tend to use the volume button a lot due to the music being of various set volumes in the first place.
I used to listen to music all the time when I was younger but now I use headphones mainly at home to listen to my internet radio, CD's and even movies. I don't like mp3 though because the quality is not good enough for me but If I could find a decent player that plays flac (lossless) files then maybe I'd listen to my stuff more often.
But if I'm in a public place or outside and I don't feel social I ride my bike instead of walking so no needs for headphones there.
As for my hearing, I think I have already done enough damage to that without the earplugs and headphones, so I will try to keep it at a reasonable volume, only raising it past that if the music is particularly good, and always lowering it again afterwards.
I actually tend to use the volume button a lot due to the music being of various set volumes in the first place.
If you use an audio editor to work on your music you won't need to play with the volume all the time. I always record my songs in loudness order (quieter to louder). I also keep the recording level below 0 db (0.10 db) so no matter how loud I play it I know it won't damage my ears. My GF for example watches TV with the volume at 30 while I listen to it at 14 and I can hear everything.
Guess what? We are all about to use our headphones even more.
I only listen to music if I'm alone in public, on a bus, or at home. I see people who have the earphones in every day to and from school and I'm just not that kinda person.
i dont use headphones alot, unless im in a plane, someones snoring, or if some people a looking at u crazily because music is coming from your pocket etc.
So i only use headphones outta my house
Yeah, I have two pairs of Skullcandys which are decent. One day, I will save up for a nice pair of Bose headphones, but for now I'm good :P
Almost everyone on my cross country team has cool headphones, though. One guy has a really cool pair of Skullcandys (They have a nice wooden finish and really nice volume) and another guy has a sick pair of retro Atari headphones (they're awesome!)
haha. i cant say that i am as bad as some others i know, but yes. I spend a lot of my time with earbuds in my ears and a tune in my head. if i dont use earbuds, i will use my radio or whatever other means of hearing something i like. :P on a somewhat related subject, i prefer the earbuds that come with i-pods, rather than those things called "Skull Candy" or whatever. the skull candies just fall out of my ears and dont even have that good of a sound quality. i dont know if its just me, or if others also despise those new-ish earbuds...
Thread is locked!