DiscoverKQED's ForumHow Private Soundtracks Are Changing Public Life: The New Normal of Constant Headphone Use
How Private Soundtracks Are Changing Public Life: The New Normal of Constant Headphone Use

How Private Soundtracks Are Changing Public Life: The New Normal of Constant Headphone Use

Update: 2025-12-08
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On the bus and in the grocery store line, more and more people are keeping their AirPods in. While we work, while we walk, while we shower, even while we fall asleep — we listen. But what does constant listening do to our attention, our relationships, and the social fabric we all share? We talk about constant audio consumption and its cognitive and cultural costs.




Guests:


Jenny Odell, artist and critic, author of "How to Do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy" and "Saving Time: Discovering a Life Beyond the Clock"


Gloria Mark, Professor Emerita of Informatics, University of California, Irvine - her recent book is "Attention Span"; her Substack is called "The Future of Attention"

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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How Private Soundtracks Are Changing Public Life: The New Normal of Constant Headphone Use

How Private Soundtracks Are Changing Public Life: The New Normal of Constant Headphone Use

KQED