White Noise

[bouncybouncy]

I have been able to work at my leisure over the holidays (2 weeks worth)...I normally work in an in-home office at my bosses house. The majority of my work is basic color corrections and photoshop...I feel that while sitting here doing the monotonous tasks of basic editing (zapping zits, ridding scars, eliminating fly away hairs and brightening teeth) I have done more while the TV has been on in the background. I don't necessarily sit here and watch it but it seems to give me something to listen to. I have tried music and talk radio but that does not seem to keep me entertained as much as the tv. (there are some talk radio shows out there I love but can't seem to find them while working...eg: Saturday shows)

I am just wondering if any of you out there find some sort of stimulation from a TV by just having on in the background...not "actively" watching.

***There are aspects of my job that require more attention and the TV would have to be turned off...I am specifically talking about the mindless, monotonous work.

[KnottedYet]

I'm like a magpie; if the tv is on I can't look away.

SKnot works best with the computer on, TV on, and music playing. I don't know how he does it...

[NoNo]

I listen to the radio all day at work (through headphones so as not to bother anyone). A: My job is monotonous (I draw maps), B: I rarely have to interact with other people, and C: The men's room is on the other side of the wall so I listen to the toilet flush all day:rolleyes: I find that most of the time it helps make the day go quicker, though I will find myself occassionaly listening to the song rather than working. I don't think I can work with a TV, as I'd be too tempted to look at it. With music there's nothing for me to look at, so I have to work. My mom used to work for the cable company, and everyone had a TV in their office! I have no idea how anything got done there.

[Zen]

Most of the NPR shows have podcasts of past shows or go to any station and listen to live streaming.

"Wait, Wait..." , "Whad'ya Know, This American Life just to name three. Countless options.

[KathiCville]

I work for myself and so am usually working in my home office, or sometimes in a quiet cubbyhole at the local university library. If what I'm working on is truly "mindless"---like organizing stuff---I'll listen to classical music at low volume. Ditto if I need to drown out some slight, but annoying background noise.........I write for a living, so I usually prefer silence. I even stick in earplugs sometimes for good measure!

I'm not a television watcher, but if I crave "company" of some kind while I'm working, once in a great while, I'll plug in any of many old movies that I have on DVD, at low or no volume. I know them all by heart, so I don't find them distracting---they mostly provide just a pleasant flicker of movement on the screen.

My weakness, at least at home, is the Internet! I can get sucked into a couple of hours of Googling for no particularly useful reason other than curiosity........So I've started literally unplugging my access for most of the day so I won't be tempted to dawdle during work hours! ;):p

[Tuckervill]

I have the TV on all the time, except when people are over. It is white noise for me, too. My parents are exactly the same way. I'm MORE inclined to leave it on while I do other things now that I know I can rewind it on the DVR if I miss something. My son plays Wii in the living room if I'm not paying much attention...it's all white noise.

I knit a pair of socks over the last few weeks by getting up on Sunday mornings and watching/listening to CBS Sunday Morning. Everyone else is still asleep or reading the paper or something. I really enjoyed that, so now I need a new project!

Karen

[tulip]

I work from home, but alot of what I do requires actual thinking and writing, so I need quiet. I don't mind street noise (except sirens), and I love when the train goes by. However, when I'm making maps or doing graphics, then I like to have some company, and I'll put BBC news on my satellite radio, or NPR. But no TV. I keep it in the closet so it's not so easy to just turn on. My downfall is email and the internet. I check my email every hour, but I don't keep it on all the time to beep at me. I allow myself internet surfing for 15 minutes at noon and at 3 (like now), and then in the evening when I'm not working, if I feel like it.

[SouthernBelle]

Very cool online customizable radio:

http://www.pandora.com/

[Mr. Bloom]

Very cool online customizable radio:

http://www.pandora.com/

Way Way Way COOL!

[Mr. Bloom]

If you listen to online stations at work, it's a serious drain on bandwidth.

One, we had a sporadic network problems at one location and it turns that two guys were listening to sirius radio online...took the whole office to a screeching halt!

[tulip]

If you listen to online stations at work, it's a serious drain on bandwidth.

One, we had a sporadic network problems at one location and it turns that two guys were listening to sirius radio online...took the whole office to a screeching halt!

heh heh, that must have been the problem at my old job every summer during the Tour de France...whoops.

[RoadRaven]

It is interesting so many of you have background noise going.

There is a discussion I have with my students (I teach teachers) about background noise (TV or radio at home, or music in the background in classes or shops etc etc).

We discuss whether we are actually teaching children NOT to listen. That is, we have the noise so often, how are they learning to listen - I mean really listen.

Food for thought...

[Eden]

At my old, pretty monotonous job I was totally addicted to radio shows from the 30's, 40's and 50's. I have a big collection downloaded free (yes its OK - they are in the public domain by now) from another message board. It's kind of like watching TV without having a TV.

[NoNo]

If you listen to online stations at work, it's a serious drain on bandwidth.

One, we had a sporadic network problems at one location and it turns that two guys were listening to sirius radio online...took the whole office to a screeching halt!

That's exactly what I do (only with XM). We've had the discussion with IT, and as it stands myself and occassionally my boss are the only ones doing this, so it's not a huge issue. However, we raised the point that other people are able to listen to radios, but because we were in an interior, windowless room, we were unable to do the same. If they can listen to music, we should be able to as well. It makes a very monotonous job a little more bearable.

[bouncybouncy]

tulip - hahaha...I live and work in a somewhat small city in the mountains where internet is just not what it was in the city my bosses and I came from...so when the TdF was on I just kept playing it off like the internet was "just acting funny!' Which it does alot...just so happen to be worse at that time! They never put the 2 together :p

Raven - I know exactly what you are saying!! "I am listening" ;) My hubby seems to have that "only can hear or think about one thing at a time" syndrome.

I will often have to turn down volume in order to concentrate on what is on my monitor....but for hours at a time I am truly doing mindless work and have even fallen asleep (even when I am fully rested) with music playing!

Just seems like the movement is somewhat stimulated during those times...

***just a note: because I work with "color correcting" I have a very dull and typically dark work area in order to get accurate color. I can open a door or window but sometimes glare is an issue there.

[Jolt]

Having music or TV on can certainly help make boring tasks more bearable (like folding laundry and that sort of thing). However, I have no idea how people can study in front of the TV--I can't do that even if it's a show my roommate happens to be watching (such as Judge Judy or something similar) and I'm not particularly interested in it! It still ends up being a distraction. Then I end up going into my room (which is right off the living room) and turning on my own music to drown it out so I can concentrate. Interestingly, I've found that even music that has words tends to distract me, so I've made playlists that are all instrumental and those work much better. It's like I can't help listening when someone is saying something! Is anyone else like this, or am I just weird?

[spokewench]

I don't usually turn the tv or music on just for background noise. If I'm watching tv, I sit down and watch it. If I am listening to music, I am not usually working, cause it distracts me.

I have found interestingly enough that I just cannot sit on a trainer and watch tv. I find myself stopping pedalling all the time, but I do listen to music and that works great for me on the trainer.

[Possegal]

i'm in the 'tv as white noise' crowd. i work at home a couple days a week, and it is not mindless work, i write and review scientific data. but i find having the tv on in the background helps. i may watch a bit, but mostly it is just there to keep me company i guess. though i will confess to being the expert in the anna nicole smith baby drama back when it was on court tv 24/7. everyone in the office knew to ask me for any details.

[RoadRaven]

Its really interesting to wonder how some people can study with background noise.

I think in part it might come down to my earlier comment.
We are raising our children, and some of us have been raised ourselves, with constant background noise - such as TV or radio always on.

To suddenly have silence is actually a distraction.

[Possegal]

i'm the youngest of six, i am not sure i've ever heard this silence of which you speak. :)

[RoadRaven]

LOL - I have 5 kids - not sure if they know what I mean either!
:p

However, we do have big chunks of the day with no TV, radio or stereo.

[Kimmyt]

When I was in college I couldn't study with music with lyrics. Music without lyrics was better, it helped to take the focus off of random noises like people turning pages, clearing their throats, etc. When I am really trying to focus and it's dead quiet, and there's some sort of slight repetitive noise, my mind latches onto it, so the instrumental music helped block that out. Jazz was the best, if it was laidback and not too intense, classical okay too, but nothing too bombastic.

When I try to go to sleep noise really gets to me, even the repetitive call of a bird outside my window or something will drive me nuts. I used to use a fan for this reason, but I've weaned myself off of it now. The other night I turned on a late-night new-age/fusion music show and it sent me to sleep nicely, but that was probably also cause I was dead tired.

K.

[emily_in_nc]

When I am working in our lab at work (debugging software problems), I can deal with conversations in the periphery, but let someone turn on music or a video on a computer a couple of aisles away, and I simply cannot concentrate AT ALL. Debugging software just takes all my brainpower, and I find myself getting very irritable if there are video or even music noises (classical music might be okay, but music with lyrics is no good). However, at home, if I am just hanging out on the computer as I am now, reading forums, writing emails, online shopping or research, the TV is often on (as now, DH is watching football), and it doesn't bother me a bit. It's all a matter of how much mental concentration I need to do. Above a certain threshold, TV/music is a definite distraction.

I also think that as I have gotten older, that threshold/tolerance has decreased. I used to be able to do homework/study with the radio on, no problem, but as I've gotten older, I need quiet to be at my best mentally.

Emily

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Interestingly, I've found that even music that has words tends to distract me, so I've made playlists that are all instrumental and those work much better. It's like I can't help listening when someone is saying something! Is anyone else like this, or am I just weird?

I'm like that, but even worse. I simply cannot work with any music or talking in the background at all...not even instrumental stuff. I play music in my spare time for fun with friends a lot, and any music on anywhere grabs my mind and pulls my attention to it. I can't work with that, it's way too distracting to me. Happily, I work at home (technical illustrator) and can have relative quiet to work in.

I find tv to be a very disturbing background noise- too much yelling (both "cheery" yelling in ads, and angry yelling), too many loud sudden noises, and too much stop/start/stop/start explosive type music....all highly aggressive sounding, even the canned laughter is rather explosive. Yuk. Constant TV racket was actually one of the breaking points of a former marriage. Blissfully, since then, I actually have not watched tv AT ALL in 9 years now. :) And my new DH and I think alike and like the very same things. :p :p :p Aaaahhhhhh.......

[Jolt]

I'm like that, but even worse. I simply cannot work with any music or talking in the background at all...not even instrumental stuff. I play music in my spare time for fun with friends a lot, and any music on anywhere grabs my mind and pulls my attention to it. I can't work with that, it's way too distracting to me. Happily, I work at home (technical illustrator) and can have relative quiet to work in.

I find tv to be a very disturbing background noise- too much yelling (both "cheery" yelling in ads, and angry yelling), too many loud sudden noises, and too much stop/start/stop/start explosive type music....all highly aggressive sounding, even the canned laughter is rather explosive. Yuk. Constant TV racket was actually one of the breaking points of a former marriage. Blissfully, since then, I actually have not watched tv AT ALL in 9 years now. :) And my new DH and I think alike and like the very same things. :p :p :p Aaaahhhhhh.......

Interesting...now that I think about it, I think maybe it's the "stop/start" and "explosive" types of sounds that are the most distracting for me too. Along with not being able to study in front of the TV even if I'm not the one watching it, the other thing that drives me absolutely bonkers is if I'm studying on the train during my commute to/from school and somebody is on their cell phone or having a conversation with another passenger nearby! Particularly if they're loud--if they're being discreet and keeping their voices down it's not as bad. Sometimes I bring my iPod specifically to drown out stuff like that so I can concentrate better--ideally I like quiet when I'm studying, but I can do OK with instrumental music that's familiar and if it keeps my attention off the random sounds it helps a lot!

[Zen]

. The other night I turned on a late-night new-age/fusion music show and it sent me to sleep nicely, but that was probably also cause I was dead tired.


Steve Roach (http://www.steveroach.com/) is great for that.