Observations: how many use one? - 23 January 2008

[1.2, 1.3] Almost half of the people on the bus had speakers of some kind or other inside their ears. Most of the people wearing them were in their teens and 20s. Most of those who were not were older (30’s, 40’s.) At least one person who did not had demonstrated later that he had a cell phone capable of playing music. Thus, it could potentially be that more than half had portable music data players, even if they were not listening. Those that had the players seemed less aware of their surroundings. They often had blank, vacant stares into space. Things that would normally bother such people greatly are not even noticed. Someone sits beside someone without a player; the person adjusts. Someone sits beside someone with a player; the person doesn’t even notice. [March 6:This has been true for most trips I have taken on the bus. Oftentimes, someone listening to a music player is completely oblivious, only moving to change the volume in response to the bus motor noise. It is almost as if there is a battle between the noise of the bus engine and the desired musical effect, and I often find myself in that kind of struggle as well when trying to listen to my iPod.]