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The AirPods Effect

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Re: The AirPods Effect

#411

Post by stasomatic »

9dev wrote: post #347
stasomatic wrote: post #336

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Is using headphones on a bike with music on or not somehow different from driving in a Lexus with music on or not?

Noise cancellation headphones that will block out loud things or ambulances approaching you, sitting exposed on a motor strapped to two wheels at a high speed? Yes. That is different from driving in a Lexus.

I drive a car and ride a bicycle and an e-bike in Miami. The ANC isn’t that magical, I hear plenty of out of the algorithm noises (ambulances, etc). Head on a swivel and look straight.

Re: The AirPods Effect

#412

Post by adolph »

bejd wrote: post #207

After reading about the default mode network here a few times recently, I think missing out on all that critical "daydreaming" time is a bigger problem. I've stopped listening to things while I'm out walking, and I've noticed a lot more solutions and ideas coming to me. The DMN seems to fall into a similar area as meditation (remember when that was all the rage among tech leaders?); the lowered input noise gives the…

> The DMN seems to fall into a similar area as meditation

I'm curious about the relationship between mind wandering as exploration leading to insight and mind wandering as rumination. It seems like DMN is more associated with the latter. Its association with meditation likely comes from studies like the below.

Meditation leads to reduced default mode network activity beyond an active task

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4529365/

Re: The AirPods Effect

#413

Post by mcculley »

The modern world is funny. I have a hearing impairment, tinnitus, and use both AirPods and less visible hearing aids to hear people better. I only wear the AirPods around people who know me well enough to know that I am wearing them so that I can better hear them. I don’t want strangers to think I don’t want to hear them or that I am being rude. When I am out among strangers, I wear the less visible hearing aids.

But a funny consequence is that because my modern, less visible, hearing aids are connected to my phone, I am often listening to podcasts or news and nobody can tell. So sometimes a stranger will say something and I have to pause the audio and ask them to repeat themselves.

I am wondering what social norms will be like once everyone has less visible electronics in their ears.

Re: The AirPods Effect

#414

Post by kriro »

I wear over-ear headphones almost all the time when I'm out on my own using public transportation, grocery shopping etc.

I listen to audio books (fiction) and it's great. I'm an introvert and this actually helps me keep high energy levels all day long. Another plus is I'm usually immersed in the story and not using my phone (well apart from it being a playback device) when sitting down or waiting somewhere.

And it's precisely this extra energy I can use to have more meaningful interactions with other human beings. I don't wear headphones when I go climbing for example and interact with random strangers quite a bit when I do.

I also don't appreciate the stereotypes that are flung about in the article. I'm also German, plenty of interactions as described in his Jalapeno-Story all day every day.

Re: The AirPods Effect

#415

Post by poncho_romero »

pjc50 wrote: post #166
exmadscientist wrote: post #45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Talking to strangers is a skill. You can practice it! I've made a point of trying to practice, albeit halfheartedly, and even though it's difficult for me, because I like it when other people try to talk to me . Earbuds stop this practice dead in its tracks. You can't deny that.

> I like it when other people try to talk to me. Probably an unpopular point on HN, but this is very gendered. There's a lot of women who don't want to be chatted up who wear headphones, and therefore a lot of men who are annoyed at this visible signal that the woman doesn't want to listen to them. We can leave room for "not wearing headphones is a signal that you're open to talk" without having to pressure people wh…

> There's a lot of women who don't want to be chatted up who wear headphones

This is true, but so is the opposite! I think the most important thing is to be kind and receptive. It's fine to start a conversation with a women wearing headphones, just take it in stride and don't be weird about it if she isn't interested in talking. I do this (with men and women) a lot.

It is true that women are more likely to be approached by creeps, and due to the physical differences between the sexes women are at higher risk in such situations. That said, we shouldn't dismiss women as too delicate or whatever to chat with. They're people!

Re: The AirPods Effect

#416

Post by russdill »

mcculley wrote: post #413

The modern world is funny. I have a hearing impairment, tinnitus, and use both AirPods and less visible hearing aids to hear people better. I only wear the AirPods around people who know me well enough to know that I am wearing them so that I can better hear them. I don’t want strangers to think I don’t want to hear them or that I am being rude. When I am out among strangers, I wear the less visible hearing aids. But…

Wouldn't it be cool if this situation could be detected and when you hit pause it would actually repeat them for you?

Re: The AirPods Effect

#417

Post by rogerrogerr »

mcculley wrote: post #413

The modern world is funny. I have a hearing impairment, tinnitus, and use both AirPods and less visible hearing aids to hear people better. I only wear the AirPods around people who know me well enough to know that I am wearing them so that I can better hear them. I don’t want strangers to think I don’t want to hear them or that I am being rude. When I am out among strangers, I wear the less visible hearing aids. But…

Ever thought about wrapping your AirPods to be skin-colored? I wonder if that would be more inviting for strangers than the stereotypical white color.

Re: The AirPods Effect

#418

Post by poncho_romero »

jnovek wrote: post #272
exmadscientist wrote: post #45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Talking to strangers is a skill. You can practice it! I've made a point of trying to practice, albeit halfheartedly, and even though it's difficult for me, because I like it when other people try to talk to me . Earbuds stop this practice dead in its tracks. You can't deny that.

> I like it when other people try to talk to me. I don’t.

Skill issue I'm afraid ;)

(Said as someone who used to feel the same way, before I discovered the joys of talking to strangers.)

Re: The AirPods Effect

#419

Post by poncho_romero »

ChoGGi wrote: post #327
kdheiwns wrote: post #178

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't wear AirPods/headphones of any sort in public but I don't like talking to strangers while out and about and get very uncomfortable since it's almost always someone trying to get something from me. But every time someone does randomly talk to me, I smile and laugh and I'm very cordial. Because people who approach strangers generally get quite angry when they're outright shot down. That doesn't at all mean I'm…

Just trying to spread a little cheer and human connection, getting angry is the last thing I'd do.

Amen!

Re: The AirPods Effect

#420

Post by poncho_romero »

steve1977 wrote: post #156
GJim wrote: post #154

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Have you tried simply telling people you don't want to talk? "Sorry mate, I'm reading" is hardly difficult.

Why would you initiate talk with me in the first place, when we're in a situation where I have not explicitly chosen contact with you? (say on a train) Also reading something would be a clear signal (also to me) that a person doesn't want to get disturbed. When I have to tell you that I don't want to talk, you have already disturbed me. So, taking the cues here clearly is on you, not on me, at least in my opinion. Ed…

If you are in a public space, I think it's totally fair game to initiate talk. It's also totally fair game to signal that you aren't interested.
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