I hadn't experiences this yet, and thought maybe it was a thing in the cities (I live rurally). But then, just today there was someone at my kid's soccer game! He was watching his social media on full volume AND yelling at the refs. I thought of this article as I waited for the refs to do something. He didn't get kicked out of the game, but he did eventually put down his phone.
Lizard brain says the lizard with the most controlled space will pass on the lizard genes. See man-spreading (space, sight), aggressive smoking (smell), weapons(extending space) and omg especially sound; vehicle exhaust, THAT ONE FRIEND, aggressive gum and food chewing, devices. As to why more now, many people seems to care less about those around them. Mimicking lizard leaders makes lizard brain feel safe.
It's so annoying. I wouldn't even want people to know what music I'm listening to or what I'm watching, let alone how much it bothers other people. I'd feel so self-conscious. Ridiculous behaviour.
OPA (other people’s audio) has been a thorn in my side since way before COVID. Though it seems to have gotten worse in the past 3-4 years. I used to be shy about asking people to turn it off. Not anymore!
Many gyms/spas do not allow phone use AT ALL in the locker room, sauna, pool, etc. I think that all gyms would benefit from adopting this rule. If they can play videos, they can record videos. Think about that… anyhoo, OPA sucks.
I’d be interested to see a study on ‘Bluetooth Pollution.’ Before COVID, that was a blanket acceptance in the office: earpods, headphones, mouses, keyboards, smartwatches, mobile phones and speakers. My Apple wireless mouse had so much interference, skipping everywhere on the screen, I gave up and asked my IT person to find a wired one. Life improved 1000% after that request. I’ve been WFH since March 2020, but was curious if this is still a thing and would love to hear the take from a 2025 perspective.
Most Bluetooth headphones will be damaged by a hot (95℃) sauna, as will most smartphones, so that guy may, possibly deservedly, end up with a dead phone anyway. I used to wear my Apple Watch in a sauna and it had a premature death when the back glass shattered.
I share your feelings about this. I've found over the years that it comes around as an issue every time there's a new technology that enables noise pollution - motorcycles, convertibles, portable radios, boom boxes, laptops, cellphones - and people have to be reminded and 'retrained' to think about others.
It usually works to tell them with authority "Hey dude, that's not allowed in the sauna (train, office, on the beach, etc.) so you'll need to take it somewhere else or turn it off or find some headphones." Then they have three choices, which makes it hard to argue as you're not telling them what to do, which is what causes the usual kneejerk rebellion.
You can also tell them you're doing some thinking for work, and if they persist in distracting you, you'll have to charge them your hourly rate, which is...
I was that sauna miscreant's age back when the LL record dropped and it was definitely frowned upon to fire up your ghetto blaster indoors.
Have people never heard of ear buds? Jeesh!
I hadn't experiences this yet, and thought maybe it was a thing in the cities (I live rurally). But then, just today there was someone at my kid's soccer game! He was watching his social media on full volume AND yelling at the refs. I thought of this article as I waited for the refs to do something. He didn't get kicked out of the game, but he did eventually put down his phone.
Lizard brain says the lizard with the most controlled space will pass on the lizard genes. See man-spreading (space, sight), aggressive smoking (smell), weapons(extending space) and omg especially sound; vehicle exhaust, THAT ONE FRIEND, aggressive gum and food chewing, devices. As to why more now, many people seems to care less about those around them. Mimicking lizard leaders makes lizard brain feel safe.
It's so annoying. I wouldn't even want people to know what music I'm listening to or what I'm watching, let alone how much it bothers other people. I'd feel so self-conscious. Ridiculous behaviour.
OPA (other people’s audio) has been a thorn in my side since way before COVID. Though it seems to have gotten worse in the past 3-4 years. I used to be shy about asking people to turn it off. Not anymore!
Many gyms/spas do not allow phone use AT ALL in the locker room, sauna, pool, etc. I think that all gyms would benefit from adopting this rule. If they can play videos, they can record videos. Think about that… anyhoo, OPA sucks.
I’d be interested to see a study on ‘Bluetooth Pollution.’ Before COVID, that was a blanket acceptance in the office: earpods, headphones, mouses, keyboards, smartwatches, mobile phones and speakers. My Apple wireless mouse had so much interference, skipping everywhere on the screen, I gave up and asked my IT person to find a wired one. Life improved 1000% after that request. I’ve been WFH since March 2020, but was curious if this is still a thing and would love to hear the take from a 2025 perspective.
Most Bluetooth headphones will be damaged by a hot (95℃) sauna, as will most smartphones, so that guy may, possibly deservedly, end up with a dead phone anyway. I used to wear my Apple Watch in a sauna and it had a premature death when the back glass shattered.
I share your feelings about this. I've found over the years that it comes around as an issue every time there's a new technology that enables noise pollution - motorcycles, convertibles, portable radios, boom boxes, laptops, cellphones - and people have to be reminded and 'retrained' to think about others.
It usually works to tell them with authority "Hey dude, that's not allowed in the sauna (train, office, on the beach, etc.) so you'll need to take it somewhere else or turn it off or find some headphones." Then they have three choices, which makes it hard to argue as you're not telling them what to do, which is what causes the usual kneejerk rebellion.
You can also tell them you're doing some thinking for work, and if they persist in distracting you, you'll have to charge them your hourly rate, which is...