Blog Post #4

As I was watching episode 2 of Ways of Hearing, I felt completely the opposite way than Mr. Moss did about how people are using screens on their phones to put themselves in their own personal bubbles to isolate themselves from the public noise.  As a native New Yorker, who’s lived here for all my 47 years, I have grown to be easily annoyed and sometimes even outraged by the lack of courtesy here in the city, of which some is manifested in the loud noises we hear.  Specifically I am referring to how loud people talk, whether it’s among each other or on the phone, of which the video phone call is the most loud.  People act like they are in their own living rooms with no awareness of how they are affecting others, resulting in a lack of courtesy and respect.  I am so happy about having earbuds to put myself in a bubble so that I am able to drown out their disturbingly annoying voices.

With that being said, when I was presented with this assignment the number of commercials for noise cancelling headphones immediately came to mind and after watching a few, this one in particular illustrates the feeling I had when I was listening to Mr. Moss talk about how people are drowning out the outside world with their devices.  The commercial, which is posted below, is for Airpods Pro, Apples noise cancelling earbuds.  The commercial shows how this busy city, whatever that may be, sounds to the young lady with or without the earbuds.  It also shows the effect it has on her psyche  and mood as she goes from no earbuds, to just music in the buds and then music with the noise cancelling effect on.   With no earbuds and only hearing the loud city she seems very annoyed and disappointed.  With just the music she seems a little happier and things are flowing better.  With the music and the noise cancelling on she starts dancing in a dream like video where she seems very happy.  Now, when I put on my earbuds and play music, or watch something, I don’t start dancing like I’m in a psychedelic video, but I feel much happier and so much less annoyed, just as the commercial is trying to illustrate.

AirPods Pro – Snap

AirPods Pro offer unprecedented control. Active Noise Cancellation for immersive sound. Transparency mode to interact with the world around you. “The Differe…