Hudson: DJ practice not something to be studied in library

Wednesday, March 5, 2008

I’m sitting in Anschutz, frustrated, trying to complete the day’s Sudoku when Flo Rida’s hit song “Get Low” pushes its way through the jumbled mess of numbers in my brain.

No, the song is not stuck in my head. It’s pulsing out of my neighbor’s ear drums from the dime-size headphones wedged in her ears.

Headphones have lost their purpose.

No longer do they keep the listener’s music from disturbing others when the music can still be heard blaring through the barrier of the headphones. Now it seems that sometimes the only reason headphones are even worn is because iPods won’t work without them.

Often in the library, I hear more muffled music playing than cell phones going off. If you can manage to click your cell phone on silent, you can manage to turn the volume down on your iPod, unless your thumb isn’t capable of counter-clockwise motion.

The library is not the only problem, though. When I’m sitting in a classroom, five minutes before the start of class, frantically trying to finish the 30 pages of reading that I procrastinated on the night before, nothing distracts me more than someone’s ears acting as a set of speakers.

Maybe this is because of ignorance. You’re just so into Sara Bareilles’ “Love Song” that you don’t realize how loud your music really is. Yet, when your head is literally vibrating to the lyrics of your music, it’s hard for me to believe that you don’t know that your music is too loud.

Or maybe you know your music is loud and just don’t care.

You may be relishing in fantasies of being a DJ, but no one else cares about your new playlist. It’s courtesy people. Just turn the volume down.

Not only is turning the volume down considerate, but maxed-out volume really is bad for your ears.

When shopping at Target, I noticed that both Nike and Sony warn on their packages that continued use of their headphones at full volume can damage hearing.

Even if you’re willing to damage your ear drums by listening to music at full volume, at least keep it to yourself.

Part of the reason others can hear your music may be because of the type of headphones. One feature of Sony’s clip-on headphones, with a cuff that surrounds the ear, is that it has a stable fit on the ears that minimizes sound leakage.

While certain headphones may contribute to the problem, I feel that the real problem lies simply in that volume bar. Headphones don’t have to be meaningless if you turn down the volume.

Until then, I give up on my Sudoku. Somehow I just can’t concentrate with Flo Rida shouting at me to get low.

Hudson is a Wichita junior in journalism and business.

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