Why do people these days totally ignore whats going on around them

Hi there

Just an observation -- It seems whenever I'm in the street, on a Bus or the Paris Metro at LEAST 50% of people are wearing headphones and are totally oblivious to what's going on around them.

It's the same in London on its Buses and tubes and probably every where else as well.

Is modern Music SO good that people just can't do with out it for hours at a time -- part of life IS being part of a community whether its a City, a village or even a bunch of passengers on a bus.

What saddens me is that this wretched practice is now beginning to creep into some workplaces -- an office I visited the other day had 7 people in it ALL wearing personal stereo headphones --nobody was talking to each other, no office banter etc etc -- probably a DREADFUL place to work in if people are like that.

There's nothing wrong with SOME use of private music but it seems now the trend is for everybody under about 30 to totally cut themselves off with everybody else - even when they are in a pub -- and when they aren't using their headphones then they are texting away like mad on their mobile phones.

The modern world DOES have problems I know but its a lot better than the "Virtual one" people seem to be creating for themselves.

Cheers
jimbo

Same with texting and PDA's: Nobody is living in the moment or observing the world around them, instead absorbed into (mostly) meaningless distraction.

The result are people no longer engaged with each other except virtually. The tactile is fading, making even sex a re-creation of virtual images rather than the (rarer) discovery of intimacy with another person.

More effective than Body Snatchers, the alienation is palpable. Just try to say "Hello" while someone is texting or listening to their IPOD. They are all listening to the same song:

Hi there
Texting is another issue -- there is NOTHING that destroys the real resonance of a language faster than monosyllabic texting.

Imagine W. Churchill's rousing World war 2 speeches to the British Nation in their time of ultimate crisis having to be converted to "text-ese" .

Who who cannot fail to be moved by reading the full words of "The Declaration of Independence".

Imagine sending that out by text with the same emphasis and meaning.

21st century it may be but it certainly ISN'T discernable progress IMO.

I've often seen in restaurants 4 or 5 people sitting together -- NONE of them actually speaking to each other --ALL of them texting away on their mobile phones.

Sad isn't it.


Instant communication DOES of course have an important role to play but we should be careful in how much we use it.

Cheers
jimbo

Hi all

Actually when I'm travelling on Eurostar (between London and Paris) I have a nifty little device called a "White Noise Generator" which ensures passable Mobile Phone immunity for that trip in my carriage -- people then actually have to DO something when the phone's aren't working.

You can then finally get to TALK to some of your fellow passengers and its often quite enjoyable especially when there is FREE BOOZE onboard as well.

I really HATE it when the guy sitting next to you screams away meaningless drivel on his mobile and can't be bothered to move away say into the corridor -- TOTAL LACK OF CONSIDERATION FOR OTHERS -- so I say to xxll with it and isolate the whole carriage with my little device which a first year physics student could construct for around 5 GBP.

If you are on the Eurostar and your phone doesn't work (outside the Channel Tunnel of course) then you know SOMEONE's on board

Texting is fine for some purposes but people seem to spend HOURS with it at a time --that's the danger I'm on about.

Now if only I could find a way of silencing the noise that leaks out of those little white bud earphones -- maybe instead of bailing out the Banks everybody should have been given a set of the latest BOSE noise cancelling headphones -- a snip at around 250 GBP a Pair. !!

Cheers
jimbo