what_if_Asle

this is (non)sense

To Noise Or Not To Noise - That Is The Question

Product: A more or less silent scenario

Noise: A somewhat ambiguous term. One man’s pleasure can be another man’s pain in the ass..or ears to be more accurate. Who hasn’t walked down the street behind some dumbass wannabe gangster who dictatorial has decided to make himself everybody’s DJ? Your coffee is turning sour only by the not so smooth sound waves of “nigga yeah yeah bling bling” and whatever trash comes out that loud device. Even the industrial sounds from the roadwork you pass sounds like angels voices in comparison. “Kids nowadays” you think to yourself not realising your mental age has changed to 60 grumpywise.

I tell you. When I went to school I had to go by bus. 30 min each way for 200 days a year for 13 years equalling primary school and upper secondary school.. 30*200*13*2 = 156.000 minutes or the more than 100 days have I spend in overly crowded bus. Sometimes I was the passive aggressor who didn’t mind yelling at my mates or laughing out my lungs without the slightest consideration of the bus not being my private taxi. At other times I was the one trying to nap by the window while a bunch of snotty kids screamed so high pitched that you would get off the bus with a ringing tone in your head, a slight taste of tinnitus and a banging headache. If you had tendencies of motion sickness..oh boy.. you would have a bad time. I even remember those days where the chauffeur stopped the bus at the side of the road and refused to move on until everybody was quiet. Of cause that would take some time since some unmatured asshole had to test the absolute limits..

So imagine that you were sitting there being interrupted. No, not just interrupted.. almost violated in your own mind. But instead of throwing a tantrum you simply point to the part of your surroundings you find disturbing with your phone and wupti. One click and the colic suffering baby, the screaming school kids and the self-appointed DJ equivalent to 7/11 all mutes at an instant. Ahhh. The low sounds of the engine working, the birds from the outside and the ‘bing sound’ from the stop button of cause remains. They actually stands out even more clear know. As if these rudimentary sounds suddenly shows deeper nuances and makes the bus drive seem hyper realistic. As if it feels more real than reality. Ahh.

Would you have done the same?

So imagine that you were sitting there being interrupted. No, not just interrupted.. almost violated in your own mind. A teenage boy infected with pimples and his pants at a height where they seem to have lost their actual purpose now acting as a tripwire yells at the girl behind you: “Your fucking twat” he screams out with a silly grin. She responds equally polite and suddenly you are in the middle of a verbal trench war..

“SHUT THE FUCK UP PUNKS!#”!!!”
The words are unfamiliar in your mouth. Almost as without taste but made of pure texture. Chewy. As of a sudden the crowded bus seems frozen. Only the engine is to be heard but not noticed. A few elderly people notch looking understandable of your reaction. A girl who is hardly the age 6 sobs a few times as if of pure immediate fright.
A few minutes passes by and then everything is back to normal. Noisy and without thoughtfulness as ever. You finally gets off the bus and starts walking towards you destination. You don’t have to look back. You already know who the mumbling in the bus has turned into real conversation. You are the topic.

Would you have done the same?

So imagine that you were sitting there being interrupted. No, not just interrupted.. almost violated in your own mind. But instead of throwing a tantrum you simply point to the part of your surroundings you find disturbing with your phone and wupti. One click and the colic suffering baby, the screaming school kids and the self-appointed DJ with ‘opening hours’ equivalent to 7/11 all mutes at an instant. Ahhh. The low sounds of the engine working, the birds from the outside and the ‘bing sound’ from the stop button of cause remains. They actually stands out even more clear know. As if these rudimentary sounds suddenly shows deeper nuances and makes the bus drive seem hyper realistic. As if it feels more real than reality.
Enchanted by you own smugness you don’t notice how someone is calling you by the name. Several times even. Maybe it was a mistake – maybe it wasn’t. But when you muted some of the people around you it also applied to Lisa, an ordinary lady in her mid-forties if it wasn’t for her fairly pink neatly cut hair. You know Lisa – like everybody else does. It’s a small village and there not many hairdressers to choose from. And as many other hairdressers she has taken two things as her oh so ordinary ‘trademark’: An exaggerate hairstyle – for not again mentioning the colour – and a mouth that never shuts. Luckily it only takes around 30 minutes for a haircut. But during that time you can rely on fact that you will leave with and up-to-date insight of anything that happens in your village. Everything from adultery to odd grocery shopping gets treated. Nothing is unmentioned. Nor the fact that you didn’t respond to her. You were literally being within a range of 2 meters and didn’t respond to Lisa. That she is not used to. The people she know might be quiet but not rude. A second thought reaches her mind. After all you used to be polite as most people though are. And you were sitting at an ease taken all the yelling kids into account. And you were for sure not sleeping. The conclusion is made ad an instant: It has to do with the hearing. Didn’t you also notice something by the ears that might look like a hearing aid? Her memory is in doubt, but her mind makes the decision: it was definitely a hearing aid.

A couple of days passes by. At the local library you have to pay a small fine for the book you did forget to bring back for almost three months by now. “Stupid you, why on earth didn’t you just bring it back? You really have to do something about those procrastinations” you think while the librarian handles your payment. “HAVE A NICE DAY” he says. No, almost yells when you’re leaving and you notch back feeling slightly peculiar. He did really speak up loud, didn’t he? You wonder. Maybe there is something with his hearing? Strange. He, the librarian, who always tells everyone else to be quite whenever they let out the just a little sound. Hmm. “He must be getting old” you think while you wander on.

Would you have done the same?

To be continued..

sound ON

So what is this nonsense!?
This prototype questions the impact of noise - or the impact of the lack of noise.

The scenario is based on the premise that it is possible to mute people or things with the help your phone and a special set of 'ear plugs'. I might be a help? It might make you everyday even more troublesome. Only one thing is for sure. It won't be boring.

Insigts from making the minor read these small scenarios based on the following questions. Beforehand the majority said out loud that they would like to improve their senses.
- would you (stil) consider to improve your senses?
- Did (do) you consider that it could have social consequences to manipulate your senses?

Actual insights

- Even faced with small everyday issues that can occur by manipulating senses, most people would still do it.

- People would initially rather improve their senses biologically than technical sinse they consider it more reliable.

- BUT when thought of technological improved senses as e.g. a hearing aid that you could turn on/off and compared to something tangiable, they suddently also seemed open to the idea of improving senses via technology

- Technology though can be socially unacceptable like the Google glasses where people where afraid of being recorded or felt a lack of intimacy if talking to one wearing them.