According to a recent article bashing iPods at work (sniff!) portable music players such as iPods are increasingly showing up on the job, a trend that's being praised as a boon to productivity as well as criticized as a safety risk and employee distraction.
Furthermore, the article explained: "The use of MP3 players isn't music to everyone's ears. While many employees who use the miniature music players believe they help them focus on work by blotting out background noise or revving up their energy, some employers see MP3 players as creating a distraction from work — and a safety and security risk."
THE FACTS
THE ARGUMENTS
( - ) MP3 use can be inappropriate in some work settings or can stifle communication because employees may have a hard time catching the attention of a co-worker with ear buds
(+) iPods = music = motivated employees
( - ) Some co-workers may play music through speakers, which can annoy colleagues within earshot
(+) iPods = podcasts = updates on news = aware employees
( - ) iPods can pose a distraction and may prevent the wearer from hearing warning alarms and bells or warnings shouted by co-workers
MY THOUGHTS
I work alone. In my own home. So I guess I can't really express my opinion on some of those issues. However, I will say that some of the best stuff I've ever written has been "under the influence" of my iPod. Personally, I'd go nuts without it. And people don't want to read articles, books and blog posts from someone who's nuts. (Or do they...?)
On the other hand, think about how many times you've seen someone walking down the street, working out at the club, riding the bus to work or browsing the shelves of a library...wearing an iPod.
Unapproachable? Maybe. But most people are smart enough to think, Ok, she doesn't want to be bothered right now. She's rockin' out. I'll leave her alone. And maybe that's a good thing inasmuch as iPods give people time to themselves, i.e., commuting, working out, etc.
I suppose you could always buy one of these AWESOME iPod covers from Shuffle Some. (Thanks to Chief Show Officer for this one.) This design is a visual interpretation of one aspect from my current study about Acoustical Privacy: the iPod as a potential indicator for "non-communication". Through a playful approach the sticker either strengthens the wish for privacy but also offers the opportunity to break up the silence with the direct demand for conversation, says the website.
But some people, namely those who refuse to remove their iPod earphones while going through security at the airport, for example...just don't get Ipod Etiquette.
Folks: it's not that hard to pull those little white nubs out of your ear and be friendly to someone for 5 seconds. Don't worry - your iPod won't be mad at you.
Although someone waiting in line behind you might be.
LET ME ASK YA THIS...
IPods: front porch or back fence?
* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
Author/Speaker/That guy with the nametag
www.hellomynameisscott.com
5 comments:
back fence in theory...you said it yourself...unapproachable.
However, unapproachable or not, the world is listening to music more now than ever. MP3s, iPOD's you name it, so by definition are we becoming more unapproachable than ever?
Awesome post. I was wondering if you had thought of all this. :)
I think that the iPods make you seem unavailable, and that is the reason why I love them. Being a 'creative' category, I use mine about 90% of the time at school and while working on school projects, and I get a lot more done without listening to my classmates and friends (and yeah, teachers too).
I'm with you, I'd die without mine (in fact, I think I've blogged about a teacher that took mine away, and they still haven't found him...).
The iPod is the best 'back fence' I'll ever have.
I suppose there's a time and a place to be unappraochable. And for us creative types, maybe that's a good thing.
However, Patrick's right: as a culture, we're all becoming less approachable. Maybe back fences are unavoidable to a certain extent.
Oh well, at least the tunes are good if you're sitting on the back fence!
This reminded me on an ipod accessory I saw on BoingBoing. A red "Do Not Disturb" label for the front and a green "Talk to Me" label for the back. Display either side to the world to indicate your approcahability status. It is specifically designed for the Shuffle but an interesting item.
http://www.shufflesome.com/2006/03/do_not_disturb.html
That is too funny because although I might hesitate to interrupt someone with an Ipod - I always thought that it would be an obvious thing to break the ice with. If you stop and ask them what they are listening to, I'm sure they would tell you and perhaps a conversation would start.
Another thing that I have contemplated was if I had MY mp3 player going... was to offer one of the buds or ear thingies to the person (sometimes I have comedy or def poetry jam on mine) to share some music or a laugh. Though some people might not accept based on how personal ear buds are to an individual - hygenically speaking (I swear my ears are clean!) :)
So for me... could go either way. Though both of these might work in theory I have never tried it.
Having a social two year old who engages everyone in some sort of contact has left me with no reason to initiate it myself.
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