Life's Miscellaneous Et Ceteras: MP3 Players Are Antisocial

Posted on October 7th, 2008 at 9:23 PM

So I'm sitting here at work (tutoring) and since no students are coming in... I'm getting some work done. Well, was getting some work done until I decided to update my shit blog for the first time in over a month.

Anyway, so I'm reading up on the MAX5154 12-bit DAC chip that I'm planning on using for one of my labs and I decided to bust out my 80 GB Zune. The Zune, by the way, is a seriously underrated MP3 player; I like the interface better than the latest iPod. Also, the display uses a highly reflective screen background with white text, so even in the horrible glare fest that is a Texas afternoon, the display is perfectly legible.

Back to tutoring-- the tutors sit at a huge 30-person conference table and wait for students to walk in and sign up. Even with only 20 people or so, the room quickly gets VERY loud.

So I queue up T.I.'s latest album (Paper Trails) and unroll my headphones. As I bring the buds up to my ears, the buzz of activity... tutors talking to students, some guy drawing on the whiteboard, and a few frustrated freshmen all instantly disappear... replaced by the phat production of 'Paper Trails' slamming into my eardrums at 761 MPH. I ceased to be part of the room.

I no longer have any ability to effectively interact with anyone else... all I can do is look around the room and imagine what is going on. Like watching a TV show... everything is so one-way and inaccessible.

After a few hours of listening to music... it's time to leave. Popping the buds out of my ear, I return to being part of the world. Turns out the token stoner EE guy has been bitching about not getting a sandwich he ordered an hour ago from Jimmy Johns... and of course those frustrated freshman are 10% closer to switches their major to liberal arts.

And so for two and a half hours, I wasn't part of their world. Nobody talked to me... I couldn't hear them anyway. Their stories and interactions served as nothing more than a slightly-out-of-focus backdrop to my life while I starred at this screen.

I wonder if I really missed anything?

This entry was filed under Observations

There are 2 comments.

October 8th, 2008, 1:10 PMNicolle said:
i don't know why...but people with earbuds shoved into their ear holes 24/7 bug the hell out of me. do they not want to interact with anything other than the probably terrible music blaring in their head? then you look like the stupid one when you try to get their attention, waving your... Read More arms and raising your voice like a two year old. take those things out of your face, people. the world wants to say hello.
October 15th, 2008, 10:14 PMLoohoo said:
I agree with Nikki completely. Even worse: headphones in your ears AND sunglasses that cover your whole face---that practically screams "stay awaaay!" :) Hope things are well, Brandon!