Our generation compared to others may be the biggest offenders of selective hearing in history. It is almost impossible to get one’s undivided attention during the age of multitasking. This point is especially true when an uninteresting topic is brought up because it encourages us to tune the speaker out. Kevin Smith wrote a blog about today’s power of caller I.D. I would like to slightly tweak some of the points made as well as draw some parallels between caller I.D. and selective hearing.
I would argue that caller I.D. makes us more socially selective but not necessarily more anti-social. When our phone rings we first check to see who is trying to reach us. We are then able to make a decision whether or not that person is worthy of holding a conversation. Having the power to accept or decline a call is similar to having the power of who we choose to talk to on the train. If we deem that the stranger sitting next to us is not bring much to the table then it customary to sit there in silence. I think we most often choose to initiate conversation with those who are either approachable, attractive, or interest us in some way. If the characters on the train do not hold any of these qualities then why not hit the ignore button and be selective as to who we talk and listen to?
I like this blog mainly because it makes me think of my many friends who are constantly only half participating in our conversations due to multitasking. Cellphones and blackberrys are pretty much glued to our generations hands, so it is pretty hard to sit down and have a conversation with somebody without resisting the urge to check your phone when it starts vibrating or that red light starts blinking. I know a lot of my friends are so bad at multitasking that I will ask them a question and they blatantly don't respond because they are preoccupied on their phones, which I think is rude...but is kind of the upcoming trend nowadays.
ReplyDeleteGoing along with what Annie said, this does happen a lot, but I believe it is just part of our generation and we are all going to have to live with it whether we like or not. Sometimes it does annoy me when someone I am talking to gives me the feeling I am not as interesting as the text or bbm they just got. However, to be fair, I catch myself doing the same thing every now and then too.
ReplyDeleteI did read about a business idea once that is trying to capitalize on this issue. Before a meeting you can schedule a text message to be sent to you at a certain time. During the meeting then you look at your phone once it rings or vibrates and can either pretend to read the text and respond to it, making the other person wait and signal that they are not as important as the text, or you can choose to just ignore the text and signal the other person that they are important and you are listening.
I agree with both of you, I think it is a very big issue. I know I 100% am guilty of doing this. I never mean to do it, but it has just become second nature to text no metter what else is going on around me. Sometimes I try to convince myself that I am good at multitasking, when I know I'm not.
ReplyDeleteI also agree with Fabian that we are just going to have to live with it because it is just part of our generation. We are becoming a multitasking genreation in general.