Thanks to the geniuses at Apple, a large number of people are now able to easily listen to music wherever they go. The iPod is a wonderful device; I carry mine with me wherever I go. It is not wonderful, however, when I am forced to listen to someone else's iPod.
I'm talking about those people who turn the volume up on their iPods so high that I can hear what they are listening to. Putting aside the fact that these individuals are clearly doing some serious damage to their eardrums, listening to other people's music can be a most irritating experience.
First, it is rare that these people are ever listening to anything you actually want to hear. It's usually some hip hop garbage or aggressive heavy metal, or something equally cacophonous. Second, the music is usually loud enough to disrupt whatever you are doing, but not loud enough so you can actually make out the words. This puts you in some strange limbo where you're indundated with bass lines and the like, but can't actually tell what the song is. You may be asking, if it's such bad music, why would you want to hear the words? Well, I don't, but only hearing part of it like that somehow magnifies the annoyingness exponentially.
You may also be asking, why don't you just put on your own iPod? The answer to that would be I do put my music on, but I refuse to turn mine on as loudly as theirs (I value my hearing and do not wish to be a hypocrite), and thus can still hear their music over my own. That's right...my music is playing directly into my eardrums, and I can still hear theirs over it. (Sidenote: I have also tried listening to my iPod to drown out the obnoxious gum chewers from post #1, but once again, to no avail). And furthermore, sometimes I want to read, or just sit quietly...I don't appreciate being forced to listen to music to drown out the dissonance.
So to all of you iPod blasters who seem to have no disregard for those around you: I sincerely worry about your hearing. Please turn the volume down, if not for my sake, then for your own.
I'm talking about those people who turn the volume up on their iPods so high that I can hear what they are listening to. Putting aside the fact that these individuals are clearly doing some serious damage to their eardrums, listening to other people's music can be a most irritating experience.
First, it is rare that these people are ever listening to anything you actually want to hear. It's usually some hip hop garbage or aggressive heavy metal, or something equally cacophonous. Second, the music is usually loud enough to disrupt whatever you are doing, but not loud enough so you can actually make out the words. This puts you in some strange limbo where you're indundated with bass lines and the like, but can't actually tell what the song is. You may be asking, if it's such bad music, why would you want to hear the words? Well, I don't, but only hearing part of it like that somehow magnifies the annoyingness exponentially.
You may also be asking, why don't you just put on your own iPod? The answer to that would be I do put my music on, but I refuse to turn mine on as loudly as theirs (I value my hearing and do not wish to be a hypocrite), and thus can still hear their music over my own. That's right...my music is playing directly into my eardrums, and I can still hear theirs over it. (Sidenote: I have also tried listening to my iPod to drown out the obnoxious gum chewers from post #1, but once again, to no avail). And furthermore, sometimes I want to read, or just sit quietly...I don't appreciate being forced to listen to music to drown out the dissonance.
So to all of you iPod blasters who seem to have no disregard for those around you: I sincerely worry about your hearing. Please turn the volume down, if not for my sake, then for your own.
1 comment:
I hear those Bose noise-canceling headphones are heaven. Though that heaven is a little bit pricey...but aren't most heavenly things?
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