Technology nowadays brings people closer together from different locations, all connecting to one location. It can have the user feeling opened and shared to many other users. But what if there was an object that can block the user from it’s surroundings and can have a certain barrier around the user. This object exists and is used by many people all over the world including myself. The object that can achieve such a thing is called the headphones. This essay will talk about the social biography of my headphones and how is it linked to science and technology studies.
This object is involved in my social world from different aspects. It helps me interact with a person without the need of holding my phone up to my ears. Whoever is around me …show more content…
I sometimes use it to block my surroundings and to stop people from interacting with me. I also find the feeling of irritation when I do not have my headphones with me. There are features of STS in my behaviour. Technological determinism is one, my headphones control how I socialise and control my cultural values [1]. For example, it is considered rude in my culture to have your headphones on when you have guests over. Yet I forget that I even had them on, which gives me a bad impression from the guests. Another feature is instrumentalism, I use my headphones as a tool to ease the way of how I am communicating with one, to listen to music privately and to focus. Now looking at another angle of the physical appearance of my object and whether it is gendered. My headphones are not gendered. The appearance of my headphones are plain and they fit into the category of a standard image, also the colour is white so it is suitable for both genders. The social relationships in my object are visible by production, distribution and use. First by production, when the engineers interact with the scientists to produce my object. They work together, share information and have a …show more content…
Configuring the user means to show the users how to use the object correctly in the right manner [1]. Other alternative is users teaching one another the way of using the object. Science also had a part in the creation of my object. A man named Nathaniel Baldwin was the inventor of the modern headphone [2]. He stated of building a fresh type of headset in his kitchen that would increase the noise [2]. The reason of the headphone was to make a direct and low, private noise to the ear of the listener [2]. However, people nowadays use headphones for different purposes. In my case I use my headphones for listening to music and talking with someone. Interpretive flexibility is seen here, where users alter the use of the object to their preference [1]. It has also been said that no technology or object has only one possible application [1]. Technological frames of my object can show us the establishment, social infrastructure and material constructed around it [1]. The first establishment was made by Nathaniel Baldwin [2]. He had an expectation of the headphones, and expectations can link social and technical affairs, since social and technical
This object is involved in my social world from different aspects. It helps me interact with a person without the need of holding my phone up to my ears. Whoever is around me …show more content…
I sometimes use it to block my surroundings and to stop people from interacting with me. I also find the feeling of irritation when I do not have my headphones with me. There are features of STS in my behaviour. Technological determinism is one, my headphones control how I socialise and control my cultural values [1]. For example, it is considered rude in my culture to have your headphones on when you have guests over. Yet I forget that I even had them on, which gives me a bad impression from the guests. Another feature is instrumentalism, I use my headphones as a tool to ease the way of how I am communicating with one, to listen to music privately and to focus. Now looking at another angle of the physical appearance of my object and whether it is gendered. My headphones are not gendered. The appearance of my headphones are plain and they fit into the category of a standard image, also the colour is white so it is suitable for both genders. The social relationships in my object are visible by production, distribution and use. First by production, when the engineers interact with the scientists to produce my object. They work together, share information and have a …show more content…
Configuring the user means to show the users how to use the object correctly in the right manner [1]. Other alternative is users teaching one another the way of using the object. Science also had a part in the creation of my object. A man named Nathaniel Baldwin was the inventor of the modern headphone [2]. He stated of building a fresh type of headset in his kitchen that would increase the noise [2]. The reason of the headphone was to make a direct and low, private noise to the ear of the listener [2]. However, people nowadays use headphones for different purposes. In my case I use my headphones for listening to music and talking with someone. Interpretive flexibility is seen here, where users alter the use of the object to their preference [1]. It has also been said that no technology or object has only one possible application [1]. Technological frames of my object can show us the establishment, social infrastructure and material constructed around it [1]. The first establishment was made by Nathaniel Baldwin [2]. He had an expectation of the headphones, and expectations can link social and technical affairs, since social and technical