Assaulted by the iPod: The Link between Passive Listening and Violence

Mark Thorley

doi:10.1080/03007766.2011.539828

Assaulted by the iPod: The Link between Passive Listening and Violence

Mark Thorley

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

3 Citations (Scopus)

39 Downloads (Pure)

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	79-96
Journal	Popular Music and Society
Volume	34
Issue number	1 - special issue: Popular Music and Violence
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1080/03007766.2011.539828
Publication status	Published - 10 Feb 2011

Bibliographical note

Author's note: Significance
This paper is the first to show how the act of passive listening brought about by an iPod or MP3 player has health implications, and can be considered to be an act of violence. It is based upon related fields bringing them together to explain a phenomenon which has been often commented on anecdotally but not researched previously. It draws upon existing work in communication studies (changes in listening habits), music and violence (torture etc.), acoustics (noise control, acoustic environments), audio production (quality of production and reproduction) and psychology (the stress response and health impact).
The paper offers a number of strategies to deal with the problem including better audio designs, awareness on the part of employers, application of existing BS4142 standards to passive listening, better management by transport companies and awareness of the problem in the workplace. As such, it offers the potential to inform policy for acoustic environmental design as well as audio hardware. The paper also points to further areas of research such as examining what kinds of sounds (frequency, amplitude etc.) are most annoying, and to whom (based on their culture and previous experience).
As well as being published in Popular Music and Society, the work was also accepted for inclusion at Euronoise in Prague (www.euronoise2012.cz).
Originality -
Existing research into MP3 player/iPod listening is limited to that of damage to hearing, and the impact on the listening habits of consumers. This is the first work to suggest the concept of a passive listener (the listener forced to listen without choice) and the fact that this produces negative health effects which can be considered to be violence.

Keywords

iPod
Music and Violence
Music Psychology
Music Production

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Music
Speech and Hearing
Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Access to Document

10.1080/03007766.2011.539828

MThorleyFinal

Cite this

@article{ea61003c22c745f2801308ffb9356fd8,

title = "Assaulted by the iPod: The Link between Passive Listening and Violence",

keywords = "iPod, Music and Violence, Music Psychology, Music Production",

author = "Mark Thorley",

note = "Author's note: Significance This paper is the first to show how the act of passive listening brought about by an iPod or MP3 player has health implications, and can be considered to be an act of violence. It is based upon related fields bringing them together to explain a phenomenon which has been often commented on anecdotally but not researched previously. It draws upon existing work in communication studies (changes in listening habits), music and violence (torture etc.), acoustics (noise control, acoustic environments), audio production (quality of production and reproduction) and psychology (the stress response and health impact). The paper offers a number of strategies to deal with the problem including better audio designs, awareness on the part of employers, application of existing BS4142 standards to passive listening, better management by transport companies and awareness of the problem in the workplace. As such, it offers the potential to inform policy for acoustic environmental design as well as audio hardware. The paper also points to further areas of research such as examining what kinds of sounds (frequency, amplitude etc.) are most annoying, and to whom (based on their culture and previous experience). As well as being published in Popular Music and Society, the work was also accepted for inclusion at Euronoise in Prague (www.euronoise2012.cz). Originality - Existing research into MP3 player/iPod listening is limited to that of damage to hearing, and the impact on the listening habits of consumers. This is the first work to suggest the concept of a passive listener (the listener forced to listen without choice) and the fact that this produces negative health effects which can be considered to be violence.",

year = "2011",

month = feb,

day = "10",

doi = "10.1080/03007766.2011.539828",

language = "English",

volume = "34",

pages = "79--96",

journal = "Popular Music and Society",

issn = "0300-7766",

publisher = "Taylor and Francis",

number = "1 - special issue: Popular Music and Violence",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Assaulted by the iPod: The Link between Passive Listening and Violence

AU - Thorley, Mark

N1 - Author's note: Significance This paper is the first to show how the act of passive listening brought about by an iPod or MP3 player has health implications, and can be considered to be an act of violence. It is based upon related fields bringing them together to explain a phenomenon which has been often commented on anecdotally but not researched previously. It draws upon existing work in communication studies (changes in listening habits), music and violence (torture etc.), acoustics (noise control, acoustic environments), audio production (quality of production and reproduction) and psychology (the stress response and health impact). The paper offers a number of strategies to deal with the problem including better audio designs, awareness on the part of employers, application of existing BS4142 standards to passive listening, better management by transport companies and awareness of the problem in the workplace. As such, it offers the potential to inform policy for acoustic environmental design as well as audio hardware. The paper also points to further areas of research such as examining what kinds of sounds (frequency, amplitude etc.) are most annoying, and to whom (based on their culture and previous experience). As well as being published in Popular Music and Society, the work was also accepted for inclusion at Euronoise in Prague (www.euronoise2012.cz). Originality - Existing research into MP3 player/iPod listening is limited to that of damage to hearing, and the impact on the listening habits of consumers. This is the first work to suggest the concept of a passive listener (the listener forced to listen without choice) and the fact that this produces negative health effects which can be considered to be violence.

PY - 2011/2/10

Y1 - 2011/2/10

KW - iPod

KW - Music and Violence

KW - Music Psychology

KW - Music Production

U2 - 10.1080/03007766.2011.539828

DO - 10.1080/03007766.2011.539828

M3 - Article

SN - 0300-7766

SN - 1740-1712

VL - 34

SP - 79

EP - 96

JO - Popular Music and Society

JF - Popular Music and Society

IS - 1 - special issue: Popular Music and Violence

ER -