Letters to the Editor
-
Violating the social contract
I think JTD hit it on the head in an earlier comment--it's not about how goofy they look (and they do look goofy--just because the ads look cool does't mean you do), it's about a more fundamental disruption of basic social expectations.
From birth, certain norms for social interaction are built in to us, and people talking seemingly randomly to no one, people who are standing right next to you but not "there", people who are talking loudly in your direction but not to you, set off alarms in us that something's wrong. It messes with our basic circuitry, and is an act of aggression against the calm foundation under our everyday actions. That creates discomfort and an instinctive hostility.
It's like passing the mentally-ill homeless guy on the street who's talking to no one and violating all the social norms. Whether you want to or not, it makes you feel uncomfortable at a deep level, and somewhat angry too. We may not like to admit it, but we feel it.
Of course there's also a status-resentment element too, but I don't think it's so much about the headset itself as just an extension of the usual stereotypical feelings--those tall, balding, suit-wearing business snobs always have to have something on us, whether it's a headset or cell phone or laptop or just a nice watch or shoes. There's plenty of cultural baggage there. The headset just ups it a notch, in a way similar to driving a Hummer, in that it invades everyone else's personal space that much more, and people simply don't like that.
What I want to know is this: do people who love and use Bluetooth devices enjoy being near other people (strangers) who are using them? If you're sitting there quietly, not calling anyone, and the person next to you is talking loudly and occasionally making you wonder if they're talking to you, do you enjoy that?
If so, that's a bit baffling to me. If not, then why is it okay for you to create that experience for other people?