Exploration 2 Cultural Artifact: Headphones

Headphones

What are some contemporary meanings encoded in the cultural artifact that you selected?

Headphones are used in a variety of ways. To listen to videos, songs, movies, etc.  There are educational purposes for using headphones as well as social purposes.  The creation of headphones symbolizes the lack of communication with the rest of the world, though.  People look at a person with headphones in as someone who is not approachable or is busy.  Headphones are used so we do not have to interact with others, and we can just focus on ourselves. Many people believe our generation lacks social skills and good communication skills, and I believe this is a reason why.  Something as simple as headphones allows us to choose when and when not to communicate with people.  When we do not want to talk to others, we can put our headphones in and tune everyone else out.  There are many great uses for headphones, but they become more and more used for unnecessary reasons and laziness.  

There are many different types of headphones as well that could represent different classes.  There are more expensive types of headphones that could represent upper class.  There are headphones that look more masculine as well as feminine.  Headphones also represent the lack of respect we have for others.  We can just isolate ourselves from the rest of the world, and feel we do not have to talk to the people around us such as elders, kids, janitors, teachers, etc.  By putting in headphones, we show that we do not care about what other people are saying or doing.  CEOs, managers, etc. all say the biggest thing the men and women they interview lack are communication and social skills in this generation.  This is because technology allows us to choose when and when not to talk to people face to face, so people get very nervous during interviews.  Talking to people we do not know does not come naturally or easily to us because it is something we rarely do.  

This discovery is from my own observations.  Many teenagers are very self-absorbed, and the majority of young adults and teenagers do not care about getting to know people unless they have to or it is someone they desire to get to know.  Numerous amounts of college students have their headphones in while walking to class, on the bus, basically anywhere on campus.  It is an excuse to avoid conversation and present oneself as unavailable to talk.  I believe it presents people with the feeling that they do not have time to talk to someone they do not know or care about, and the people around them are not worth their time.  We live in a life where everyone always has somewhere to be, something to do, and we are always in a rush.  We rarely just sit down and get to know people.

I asked three people about the contemporary and cultural meaning to them:

My mother explained how she uses headphones mostly while working in the classroom for educational purposes with students. When she was growing up, headphones were not nearly as popular. She does not even own her own pair, so she does not have a desire to use headphones frequently.

My grandfather explained that the only time headphones were ever used was in the war, telephone operators, media industry, etc. It was not very common for everyone to own a pair of headphones. They were more used in the working world.

When my brother was growing up he explained there were different styles of headphones. The more bulky and noticeable headphones were in style. Not until later and more recently have headphones been decreased in size. When my brother was growing up it was less common to have cell phones and technology as a teenager, so people were rarely using their headphones in the first place. People used headphones to listen to CD players and the first Ipods. Now he uses headphones much more frequently during exercise and while on his laptop because of the evolution of technology.

The Atlantic posted an article, How Headphones Changed the World, and the article started off with explaining how when people are working in an office, headphones allow people to be in their own bubble and stay positive to continue working hard.  The history of headphones goes back to World War 1.  The purpose of the headphone is to create a private sound that not everyone has to hear, and a man named Nathaniel Baldwin built a new kind of headset in his kitchen that could amplify sound.  Headphones made such an impact on music because it allows people to listen to music reflecting their mood and have no one know.  Headphones create privacy, and the article also explains how people do use headphones to separate themselves in a public setting.  People want to appear busy to avoid contact with others.  The article ends with the explanation that many people believe headphones are bad for individuals, but in reality they help relax individuals. When people are relaxed, they are able to look at a problem more openly, and be able to solve it.  

In The Merchants Of Cool, there were some fascinating statistics about how much technology children use and how much money is being spent on technology.  Teenagers believe that technology is the cool thing to purchase, and teenagers look like outsiders if they are not using it.  Technology is overpowering our generation which has many consequences along with it.  Headphones are a part of this changed culture that kids today are growing up in.  This video emphasizes the impact media has on teenagers lives.  In Study Guide for Tough Guise, I found this to relate to my cultural artifact as well because of the expected headphones specific genders should wear.  People do not see men wearing pink headphones.  There is an expectation for men to wear certain colors, brands, and act a certain way.  Men were brought up to appeal to certain colors and styles, and men who go against that are criticized.  Slowly this norm has been changing, and people are growing to be more accepting for who people truly are. 

Linda Stein’s artwork and message remind me of the gender limitations headphones have.  Headphones are part of representing one’s style, Stein tries to break those stereotypes that men and women have.  She emphasizes how many people are just bystanders, and headphones are an excuse to be a bystander because they display obliviousness.  Headphones show that one is busy and is not paying attention to helping others. Someone on headphones may see bullying or wrongdoing, but use the headphones as an excuse to ignore it.  Linda Stein wants the world to go against this.  

Looking at our other required reading, Unpacking Privilege, again emphasizes the gender and race expectations our society has created.  Some have more privilege than others depending on race, gender, age, etc.  One could look at headphones and think white adult males may be more likely to wear headphones in public because of the superiority they feel over women and different races.  Adults may wear headphones around teenagers because they feel they do not need to interact with younger, less educated people.  There are certain headphones that appeal to specific genders, races, ages, etc.  Some headphones are clearly geared toward the younger ages, so if an older person wore them they would be viewed as immature. There are also highly priced headphones that appeal to upper class, so wearing these headphones signifies one’s class, privilege, and superiority.