Marta,+Emily

Is the digital world promoting social isolation? Does wearing headphones prevent others from approaching and starting conversations?

Hypothesis
We Hypothesize that people will be less active in approaching and starting conversations with someone who has headphones on than someone who doesn't. We base this hypothesis on the idea that headphones are often the symbol of social isolation. Listening to iPods and mp3 players is a means to separate the self from the world, to disconnect, to create a shield on the surroundings. We believe that people will recognize headphones as a symbol, and "leave alone" the people who have headphones on.

Objective
Our main objective is to find out whether people conceive headphones as a “shield” for self-isolation and consequently block themselves out from people wearing headphones. Another objective of this research is to see whether there is a difference in the perception of headphones between the American culture in Normal, Illinois and the Korean culture in Gangnam, Seoul.

Method
Visit several convenience stores and some stores at the department store alone. Do not start a conversation first, but converse when approached to by a worker. Note the number of times the worker talks (including “welcome,” “thank you,” “good bye,” “come again”) and record the observations for each of the stores. Visit the same stores on a different day. This time, wear big and visible headphones on, but do not connect the headphone to any music player. Do not start a conversation first, but converse when approached to by a worker. Do not try to show that the conductor is listening to music (ex. humming, bobbing the head to the rhythm). Note the number of times the worker talks and record the observations for each of the stores. Compare the results and analyze the similarities and differences between the two different situations. Compare the analysis results between Seoul and Illinois.

Potential Errors
Our experiment is limited to a small group of people. Because we must conduct the research to strangers but those that will potentially talk and approach us, we had to limit our subject to workers at convenience stores and department stores. This is not very thorough or objective. Also, a big erroneous factor may be the mood of the workers. If the workers at the stores are in the mood to socialize and approach people, they will talk more, but if they are in a bad mood, they might not talk (regardless of our headphones).

Scholarly Literature Summary
Emily [] It’s true: these days, kids ask “Oh, we’re there?” rather than the classic “Are we there yet?”. The modern generation is immersed into their own world, thanks to the digital gadgets that let them to spend hours alone. But this doesn’t mean only teenagers. This article quotes a man: “You’re just as likely to see someone in their 40’s with an iPod as a teenager...It has become this cultural phenomenon.” This cultural phenomenon may be due to the American culture toward “‘withdrawing from the public sphere or the public culture into one’s private space, where you can have complete control over your entertainment,’” as James E. Katz, a communications professor at Rutgers University says. He adds that iPods “psychologically depopulates that social space for you. It increases the isolation and anomie.” The article also provides a personal account by Ms. Powell, who says that “for the most part on the train, you’re didscouraged from carrying on loud conversations and talking on the cellphone...the iPod [provides] a nice buffer.”
 * COMMUTER'S JOURNAL; My Ipod, My World. Oh! We're There?**
 * By Jack Kadden**
 * Published December 5, 2004**

[] According to the surveys conducted by the Consumer Electronic Association, the “most recent Teen Holiday Survey revealed that the top five gifts teenagers want are an MP3 player, a video-game console, a computer, a cell phone, and a portable game device.” As this survey shows, technology has come to occupy a huge part of our lives. The article describes a study on a group of teenagers. An eighth-grader the researchers talked to said that “when you put on headphones and listen to your favorite music, ‘you don’t have to think about things.’” Another kid in fifth grade tells “I can listen in the car when i don’t want to listen to my brother’s music.” Surely, MP3 players are at the center of individualism. According to the book “Escape From What?” “iPods and the like are convenient escape routes.” The article also mentions that teenagers are aware of the risk of social isolation in the digital world.Yet, the digital gadgets can also "foster" socializing. Some kids say that social networking sites and cellular phones allow the students to keep in contact outside of school. Thus, one cannot judge immediately that all things digital are detrimental to young people - or people in general. MIT professor Henry Jenkins stated in "Reality Bytes: Eight Myths About Video Games Debunked," that much of video games is social. While other technologies might harbor socializing in some ways, it is inevitable that listening to iPods is a solo activity. According to this article, "kids say they often use technologies such as the iPod to remove themselves from stressful circumstances." American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry studied in 2005 the sources that cause these "stressful circumstances," and has reported them as: school demands and frustrations, negative thoughts and feelings about themselves, changes in their bodies, problems with friends and/or peers at school, unsafe living environment/neighborhood, separation or divorce of parents, chronic illness or severe problems in the family, death of a loved one, moving or changing schools, taking on too many activities or having too-high expectations, family financial problem. Thus, teenagers try to escape from stress by isolating themselves from the world and not think about anything.
 * Leave Me Alone ... I'm Socializing: Two Opposing Impulses Are at the Heart of Kids' Use of Technology. but to Hear Them Tell It, There's Room for Both.**
 * by Neal Starkman**

Marta

The first article I found is called //Chattering Classes// and focuses on the rules of verbal exchange. In 45BC, Cicero wrote down the rules for ordinary conversations: speak clearly, do not interrupt, be courteous, do not get off topic, and never lose your temper. These rules are regarded as the fundamental structure of conversations and are still used today. It also discusses the politeness theory, a theory that people who do not want to insult another will speak a certain a way to get what they want without offending the other. There are four possibilities, the straight forward approach, positive and negative politeness, and indirect politeness. The article explains how sometimes the best way to successfully communicate is to also be silent and let others have a turn to speak, remembering that it takes two have a conversation.

The article //The Structure and Use of Politeness// Formulas examines the rituals of conversation. For example, when starting a conversation, normally, you would start by greeting the person and asking how they are or how they feel. These rituals are call politeness formulas and are used so often, they are considered to be empty and insignificant in a conversation. They are thought to be unimportant because society’s conversations are declining as an art because of radios, TV’s, and computers and peoples lack of communication skills; as grammar standards fall, so will the ability to create meaningful conversations.

In // Communication Skills //, the article talks about how you have to be sure to communicate your thoughts clearly, while expressing your feelings. It explains that sometimes you will have to say something that the other person my find upsetting but you have to be sure that they are aware of what you think. However, that doesn’t mean that you can be rude or criticize their thoughts; you have to respect their ideas and let them speak too. It also explains how nonverbal communication is also important, how a smile can reassure someone or making eye-contact can convey confidence. Another thing it points out is how in an argument, it is key to try and find a way to solve the dispute by making a compromise or making a plan that can benefit both sides as well as yourself.

In the article [|//Cyber Socializing//] it discusses how technology has changed the way we have conversations. It examines how today, people think that they can talk online without any consequences and how young people feel that they can write anything they want online, not realizing how many people will have access to it. It also explains how verbal exchange is being affected by online exchange because people’s grammar is falling and acronyms, such as lol of idk, are now becoming a part of everyday conversations.

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· "Chattering Classes." // Economist // 23 Dec. 2006: 79-82. // MAS Ultra - School Edition //. Web. 1 Mar. 2011. < http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?hid=110&sid=f2da9213- 0169-46f3-ae4f-7a9cd74e29dc%40sessionmgr113&vid=3&bda ta=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl#db=ulh&AN=23529782>. =====

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· Ferguson, Charles A. "The Structure and Use of Politeness Formulas." // Language in // //Society//. Vol. 5. London: Cambridge University Press, 1976. 137-151. //JSTOR//. Web. 1 Mar. 2011. < http://www.jstor.org/stable/ 4166867>. =====

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· Clemmitt, Marcia. "Cyber Socializing." //CQ Researcher// 28 July 2006: 625-48. Web. 2 Mar. 2011. < http://library.cqpress.com.proxy.lib.ilstu.edu/ cqresearcher/document .php?id=cqresrre2006072800&type=hitlist&num=0>. =====

__Feedback__

I think that the hardest part would be to analyze your results because each employee is going to be different. They may have more than one reason why they wouldn't approach you. I think that maybe you should approach them instead or act like you need help otherwise they might not come over. But other than that, I think this is a really interesting research project!(Faiza)

(Jenny Darrow) I like your idea on the headphones being a symbol of isolation. This only problem I see with this experiment is the way you dress. Clothing can influence what people think of you. You would need to were similar clothes all the time in order to get an accurate result.

Like I said yesterday I thi nk the only thing you may have trouble with is location, because at some locations people are less approachable. -Cymone

I completely agree with Jenny, the main flaw that I see would be you changing your appearance from day to day. Make sure that your appearance is identical from the previous days, meaning that you should wear the same clothes, make up, etc. If your appearance differs from day to day your results could be skewed one way or another. (Nick)

=Results= Emily

I went back and adjusted they way I presented my results so that they look like how you did yours -Marta

=Keynote=

Formal Report