Hello, Walkman

Recently, having a device with earphones while on a plane helped keep me from being rude to my neighbors about their hyper 15-month-old. I was listening to a book, not music, but same idea.

Earbuds (-phones, whatever) can lend an element of privacy to public spaces. When I used to ride the T every day, I often kept my earphones in even when I wasn't listening to music as a signal to strangers that I was not interested in small talk.

The world is already a noisy place: loud, inane or TMI conversations, traffic, bodily noises, etc. I use one at work some days so I don't have to actually yell at the people in my open-plan office to "shut the #$( up", which would have negative repercussions. I would prefer to choose the noise I put in my head. I'm careful of my hearing and the sanity of those around me by making sure the sound levels are moderate. People who use them to tune out, walk in front of traffic, or annoy everyone with their taste in music would easily find other ways to do so if that is what they do. I do think people need to be educated and reminded of the hearing damage they can experience, and that what goes in the earbud should stay in the ear, but that's courtesy, not necessarily technology.

Believe me, if you ever pile onto the green line after a Red Sox game, ride on the T with loud teenagers, obnoxious drunks, or other "off" humans you'd put those headphones on mighty quick.

If it wasn't for an iPhone I'd never exercise. I'd be concentrating too much on how winded, achy, not-feeling-like-it I am. Walking a mile from my bus on particularly hot or wet or cold days is more tolerable. It is often a godsend in my open cubicle environment so I can drown out constant distractions and actually get work done.

Besides, regarding communal music--There's a place for that. Concerts (I'm going to the Pops on the 2nd), gatherings with friends, in the car with my hubby. The iPod doesn't threaten any of those things, but it makes making playlists for the car a breeze (I remember when I used to make mixed tapes). The argument for communal music is like the argument for school prayer. The fundies are all for prayer in schools as long as its THEIR prayer--not Jewish, Muslim, etc. So while you might want to blare your showtunes, top 40, classical, etc. the guy next to you is going to put on his country, hip-hop, death metal...you sure you want to listen to that? Be careful what you wish for...

Oh, and I forgot. They're a godsend for housework as you move room to room.

If I'm in one room, I dock the iPod and listen to it as a stereo--but that doesn't work when I'm moving around, or my hubby's around. We both have very different musical tastes---mine are more "conventional" (like what's generally on the top 40 on the radio) while his run to weird, fringe, techy, cutting edge (not sure how else to describe it).

A few years ago, I remember walking around my beautiful college campus and realizing that everyone I passed either had their cell phone out or their iPod in. It was kind of disturbing.

That said, I appreciate it on long train rides when I'm not looking to socialize anyway. And if you have a car hookup, they're helpful on car trips. My boyfriend and I have shared some of our favorite music with each other this way -- we switch off halfway through. I had another fun car trip with a group of people where we rotated every three songs. It was a fun way to get to know each other a little better and make the ride go faster.

I used to use my iPod at my old job, which involved methodical editing. I didn't disturb anyone around me, I didn't have to sit in silence while clicking away, and if anyone needed me, I could still hear them.

I have retreated to the comfort of my iPod (at LOW levels - the lowest they can possibly be while covering some of the background noise) on the T commute at times, and while on trains and airplanes (I set it to the Beatles and am soon asleep, even if one of their livelier tunes comes on - and it's not easy for me to sleep in transit!). However, I am currently biking to work (not in Boston) and would never dream of using my iPod - I think it's very unsafe to block one's self off from the noise of traffic, especially if someone's speeding up behind you. I also don't appreciate when others "share" their music on devices without headphones (or at loud volumes)... especially at 8 AM.

I guess having my iPod depends whether I feel like interacting with society - usually I don't bring it with me, because I want to get the "full experience" of a place. Sometimes I don't bring it b/c I'm afraid it'll get stolen.

I use my iPod with headphones in two situations -- when traveling and working out. In the former, it keeps me in the good obedient zombie place that makes flying possible, maybe even bearable. In the latter, it keeps me motivated to do whatever I'm doing, whether at the gym or walking in a park. When I worked in an open cubicle world, I used headphones there, too, but I had some really rude cube neighbors.

I prefer to be more aware of my surroundings when traveling (I'm going to exclude the "joy" of airports from that), the annoying, the interesting, and the potentially dangerous things going on around me. But then, I know I'm a throwback. My cell phone is a pay-as-you-go cheapie that really serves as a car phone, as that's where it usually lives.

Generally, it doesn't bother me on a personal level to see everyone tuned out on a street or in a train. I would rather listen to someone's backbeat than their super! important! overly! personal! cell phone conversations. I hate seeing two people supposedly having a meal together while one or both of them is on the phone. Or two people walking together, both with headphones on/in. Being plugged in is, sort of by definition, a solo affair, and if you're with other people, it seems rude.

Having your earbuds in does help one to escape the petty annoyances of public transportation -- as welll as conveniently broadcast to Chatty Cathy neighbors that you're not interested in small talk after a long day at work. I can support this, so long as you're conscious of the volume level (for the health of your eardrums and those of your neighbors). Of course many don't do this -- they just blare away.

But what I think Miss C is getting at is the notion of the "public" all being plugged into their own worlds, thus turning the idea of "the public" on its ear. It's now a congregation of individuals all tuned into their own worlds instead of a more collaborative group taking it all in together.

But I don't make any distinction between the earbuds/iPod thing and people staring into their Blackberries texting furiously. You can be just as detached and off in your own world doing that as you can listening to your tunes. To me, these are all forms of cutting off the outside world and sending a message to others that "I am not to be bothered."

The thing that kills me/cracks me up is when I see people out for a walk and talking on their cell phones. Call me old school, but a walk is a chance to get some cardio and be alone and connect with the outside world. Now I would definitely put my own soundtrack to this (ie -- bring my iPod with me), but I'd keep the volume at a level so I could hear cars and anyone coming up behind me (for safety's sake).

I use my iPod ofr my walk to and from work and the T. It helps improve my mood in the mornings, and also blocks out the conversations of others, crying children, spangers, metro-hawkers, clipboard-wielding-charity-barkers, and the muffled sounds of the other iPods. This turns my morning and evening commute from a minefield of annoyances to a musical of daily life. It helps give my citylife a bit of insulation.

I use my ipod immitation (it's a sansdisk) so that I can listen to NPR (90.9) when I ride the bus (I read when I get to the redline and we're too far underground). I listen to NPR as I drive to work and I was missing that part of my routine when I took the train which is why I got something with a radio. I do sometimes wish I could broadcast that to others though, "I'm just trying to keep up on current events, I swear!" That said it does feel odd when you are walking around and every other person you pass has earphones in.... very robot-like!

Headphones have their pluses and minuses. On the plus side, I can listen to music while I walk, or when I'm sitting in a waiting room, or while I work or clean. For the person, it's great.

The downside is that so many people are used to it being 'their world', that they don't think about the volume. Much like the guy nobody likes whose car blasts a bass beat you can feel three blocks away, some people crank their headphones. And it is incredibly annoying to hear the noise from them when you don't want to (just like it's annoying to hear the car stereo when it's not your car).

I will note, there is one thing worse...someone with headphones too loud AND who decides to sing or hum along. It's one thing when you're alone in your house, it's another when you're stuck next to them.

If given the choice I much prefer someone keeping to themselves and listening to music in their own private world, versus having a LOUD phone discussion in public on their cell phone, dragging all of us unwillingly into their own private world.

Seems these days EVERYONE has some sort of device, cell phones, i pods, or the dreaded combination iPhone.

I just want a nice quiet commute and earbuds and someones own music is better in my opinion.

i use the audio settings on my IPOD so I don't go deaf...and yeah I tend to use it on the subway a lot, with one ear in and one ear out so to speak. It keeps me aware enough of my surroundings but also tells the creepy guy 3 seats down that no I'm not interested in whatever sexual favor you just mentioned...
i haven't yet seen the negatives of the ipods/music device as much as the cell phone intrusion...plus it is slightly amusing when someone is listening to a type of music you weren't expecting them to and they start singing to it. As an exaggerated example a middle aged man singing along to hannah montana/miley cyrus. i'd much rather hear that than the extremely privileged convos I've overheard...seriously Mr Lawyer dude, do you really think talking about potential SEC violations on your cell phone is a good idea?

Tuning out the world can be a good thing. My MP3 player makes the bus bearable. The noise-canceling earbuds drown out most of the background noise, so I don't have to listen to other peoples' MP3 players (especially when they blast music out of phones or boom boxes) and loud cell phone conversations.

Does anyone else want to strangle people who use speakerphone on public transit? One woman was talking to her bank, with account numbers and passwords.

I usually only use my iPod when exercising or on long Greyhound bus rides to and from college. Occasionally I'll stick my earbuds in my ears on the T, but that's only if I am trying to signal to people that I do not want to talk. (Is it bad that I like eavesdropping on the T?) Socially, iPods are useful ways to show our friends what music we have so that we can exchange music. Think of it as a catalog of songs that one's friends can shop from or sample. I know I've learned about artists I never knew about just by looking through a friend's iPod and listening to one or two songs.

That being said, I hate when college students use them walking from class to class; it sends the message that you don't want to talk to *anyone* on campus because you're too wrapped up in your own little world.

Having earbuds in is the BEST THING EVER. How many times have I been hit on at the gym while just trying to work out? Those signal, "not interested in entertaining you in a conversation." Glorious. Usually it's male strangers that bemoan their diminished ability to strike up a casual conversation with anyone that catches their fancy. In the grocery line. At the laundromat. At the park. Guess what? I don't know you. I'M NOT INTERESTED IN TALKING TO YOU. Get over yourself.

I see many upsides to "personal music devices".
One is the same as what LD said - as a woman, there are certain moments I feel safer if I have my earphones on as it does discourage being approached by people I might not want to be approached by.
Another is what ruthling said - sometimes I don't want to listen to everyone else's noise - I'd rather listen to what makes me happy.
Yet another is that I listen to more news programs and "read" more books on my iPod than ever, since reading actual books in moving vehicles makes me sick.
Something else that may sound odd - music helps my memory. I remember things I've seen much more vividly if I was listening to music while I saw them (this mostly pertaining to travel alone or museum visits).
That said, I think there is a time and place where NOT to use them. If I have children, I will not let them wear earphones at the dinnertable, for example. There is a lot of other technology I think has much more negatively impacted society than the walkman.

I don't use an iPod or anything like it because I cannot stand to have music piped directly into my ears. My 12 year old son loves his, though, and has found that it helps him concentrate on his homework, probably because it allows him to drown out his older sister. Perhaps that's the real virtue of these devices: they allow you to be "alone" with people who might otherwise drive you crazy.

Do others make a distinction between "personal music device" and
headphones? I adore my little ipod shuffle. I play it through my car
speakers instead of the radio. But I don't own a pair of headphones.
They have never fit my ears and I just don't like shutting out the world
around me. Multi-hour car rides were designed by the universe for big,
loud sing-a-longs, so ipods are perfect for the job. I do love the huge
worlds of music that MP3 players open up.

The teenage volunteers I work with inevitably ask if they can listen to
music while they are working....to which my answer is always a solid "no"
because I want them to be paying attention to what's going on around them
and what their hands are doing. They always *think* they are paying
attention...

I see Wilson's point, and agree about the inattentiveness of the locked-in
personal world...headphone discussion aside, I think Wilson's being a tiny
bit of an old fart when he says that music isn't the social activity it
once was. It's true that albums used to be awaited and purchased on the
release date and listened to by groups of friends in a basement, lyrics
and cover art poured over together. But there's a live music scene in any
city of a particular size that's got an active, engaged community
supporting it. Boston's music scene is incredibly social. There are so
many music festivals worldwide, it's almost unbelievable. That didn't
exist 40 years ago. So I'm not sure what exactly he's lamenting when he
says "Music used to bind us together..." I think it still does, perhaps
just differently than it did a few decades ago.

hdv1211: I have the same memory cues with music as well. Which is why I studied to music and then, if the professor has no problem with ipods as long as nobody else can hear, I'd listen to the music while doing my final. Yes my international politics info is cued by listening to the Barenaked Ladies

Wow! I'm amazed at the number of folks who use headphones so often in public. I guess I shouldn't be surprised, given the high percentage of folks that I see in public wearing them. For me, I only ever use my iPod in the car when I want to get more engaged by listening to a book or podcast, or when exercising. But even then, I don't like to be so disconnected from the world. And besides, I like to listen to my own thoughts and see where they wander!

Do any of you other posters read Meredith Goldstein's love letters chats? The big question is where to meet people. After reading all these posts, I know now why they can't! All of the wonderful chance meetings at the laundramat and on the T have been swept out of the mix.

Miss Conduct, I wish you would ask a colleague in another part of the country to run a similar column and see what the responses are like. Would people be talking about the need to shut others out and signal that they are not available?

My iPod helps block out all but the most determined street harassment--and that little white cord is a well-understood signal to not even bother. Until the catcalls stop, my earbuds are staying in.

I started using an iPod so that I wouldn't listen to other people's talk or to loud music from somebody else's earphones, which was making me terribly annoyed. I'm not sure that's the best way to deal with that, but I'm feeling much better. I try not to listen to music too loud though, both to spare my ears and other people's too.

Our society is fragmented whether people keep locked in their private worlds listening to music or not. It's not as if people would be warmer without it. Also it's not as if those who are using earphones are cut off from what's happening around them and don't care about those around them, so in the end, it doesn't make any difference to social interaction.

As for "removing the social element from musical enjoyment", I don't agree with that either, because people still enjoy music together regardless.

Congratulations for blogs, Robin!

I use my iPod when I'm at work and I need to concentrate. Having similar sounding background noise on (I listen to a lot of opera, where I don't know the language) keeps me focused and less inclined to play on the internet or whatever. I keep it on low, so I can hear when people talk to me and so they can't hear what I'm listening to.

Hmmm, where else. I do use it on the T sometimes, when I'm just a little braindead, but it's challenging because the T isn't the quietest place, and I would prefer not to blow my ears out compensating. I'm not sure what the difference between reading and listening to an iPod is. Both take you away from your current location and isolate you.

I think talking loudly on your cell phone is ruder than listening quietly to your own music. I don't need to hear all your chirps to know how popular you are. Really I could care less.

I don't own an iPod. I like music, but don't feel the need to have it everywhere. I feel less safe if I can't hear what is around me. I also find that faced with a long list of mp3 files to choose from, I get overwhelmed in a way that I don't when I am looking at the physical CD cases. That, plus my total lack of desire to spend time managing even more electronic files, makes me not the best iPod candidate in the world.

I just wish people wouldn't blast the things so loud. If you are listening to your headphones 3 rows away from me on the commuter rail, and I can tell that you are listening to Led Zeppelin's Black Dog, it is WAYYYY too loud.

Don't expect a birthday card from Steve Jobs this year. I would agree with your negetive balance assessment with the iPod/Walkman. On the whole, I would say that all of technology has a negetive balance assesment as a social contributer. For the amount of change that technology has changed our lifestyles, I don't see an equal change in the way we treat each other and our world. Do we behave that much differently toward each other compared to the Cro-Magnon. Technology might have made our lives comfortably better, at least more flashy, but has it made us better people?
I think I might go further than your statement that technology is not alway morally neutral and say that it is never morally neutral. Never, because technology is created and used by or through humans and our actions are always morally driven. I can't think of one thing I do all day that is done solely from primitive demand and no other influence.
I would agree that music is one of those universalities of humaninty. But it has never been and I don't necessarily believe that it should be universally binding. It's purpose is equally important to the indivual as it can be for a group. National anthems only affect specific nationalities, and I don't want to share those few moody songs that I connect with when I need to be alone. As you can argue that technology has fragmented our musical social interaction, some say that technology has limited and homogenized out musical variety, meaning more people listen to more of the same kind of music. Minus any musicality judgement, it has created more unifying human connections via easily communicable and homogonous music genres.
That said, just because I am destressing on the T with Kelly Clarkson after work, it doesn't mean I do not have to give my seat up to the elderly or block myself to others "excuse me"s. And just because I am motivating myself at the gym, ok - to Kelly Clarkson again, doesn't mean I don't have to wipe the sweat off of the bench for the next person.