Headphones Use In The Office
I have never been able to immerse myself in my work in an office environment while being able to hear the general noisy chatting, overenthusiastic meetings, ringing phones and choking, sneezing, nose blowing, grunting, snorting and God knows what other noises eminating from my officemates. So I have always tried to avoid this by putting on a pair of headphones and drowning it all out with music.
I’m sure it’s no surprise to you that I don’t find it quite as simple as that.
Several issues arise in my attempted use of headphones in the office; the most irritating of which is the way that people seemingly wait until I put the headphones on, then decide that THAT is the time to come and talk to me! As if just seeing me put the headphones on is their cue to come and irritate me with idiotic questions and unreasonable requests.
Is it not plainly obvious that, if I am wearing headphones, I do NOT want to be disturbed? Should I put up a sign telling you to leave me alone? Because the way that I respond at the moment – in a CLEARLY annoyed tone – doesn’t seem to get the message across adequately.
Wearing headphones is NOT an indication that I have no work to do, and so am passing time listening to music. It is NOT EVEN an indication that I am engaged in an easy or unimportant task that requires less of my attention. I am putting the headphones on in order to isolate myself from the ear-shattering row that is seemingly the norm in these open offices, in order that I can concentrate on my fucking job. So please, leave me THE FUCK alone.
I’ve consulted friends on this subject and I usually get suggestions like “you should ALWAYS wear headphones so people realize that’s just what you do when you’re working …” But what these people don’t realize is that I’ve tried that – and I get CONSTANT interruption. And I mean CONSTANT.
I’ve gone as far as carrying out experiments in this area. I’ve spent a week never using headphones and noted the number of interruptions. Then spent a week with headphones all the time and noted the interruptions. The results are clear.
Without headphones, I get interrupted on average twice per hour.
With headphones, the interruption rate is TRIPLED.
I have even spent entire DAYS trying to listen to ONE 6 minute song all the way through – and failed. I’ve even noted the amount of time I achieved on each attempt before someone interrupted me – the LONGEST time was less than 2 minutes, with the average being less than 50 seconds. This is NOT something I’m imagining. It’s real and it’s incredibly annoying.
Adding insult to injury, we have the ways in which people think it’s either acceptible, or indeed entertaining, to get my attention when I’m wearing headphones. The fact that you’ve approached my desk will have alerted me to your desire to talk to me. If I don’t immediately disengage from my current activity, it’s because I’M BUSY. Can’t you give me 3 damn seconds to finish typing the sentence I’m halfway through?
I don’t need to be made a spectacle of by your idiotic fucking antics in an attempt to amuse the rest of the office. You’ve already annoyed me by coming to my desk within just a few damn seconds of seeing me put on headphones. Exaggerated waving or clicking of your fingers in front of my face, knocking on my desk, clapping down my ear or shaking my chair will not get you my attention any quicker, unless the kind of attention you’re looking for is getting my fist planted firmly in your fucking eye.
MisterShouty 