The Psychosis of the Modern Workplace

The office, the modern workplace of the masses, cleaner, quieter and safer than the factory. The passive "head" jobs of the communication and information era replacing the physical manual labour of an industrial past. We are led to believe that the office and the modern way of working is an all round healthier alternative to the dangers of a heavy manufacturing industry.

But is this really the case, especially when it comes to sound? The noise in the average modern office still reaches levels to which prolonged exposure is damaging, not specifically to the ears but to the body and mind.

When we converse, our brains actually work very hard to filter out background noise to enable us to focus on the voices of those we are speaking with? So what is the effect on our brains of overhearing so many one sided telephone conversations? I imagine it is making it work overtime and therefore limiting out ability to think.


Add to this the constant airy hum and drone of air conditioning, the fidgety, arhythmic clatter of a 100 keyboards, the high pitch ringing, beeping and pulsing of telephones, the disjointed banging of cups, draws and doors, and the erratic, unintelligible beep of computers and i think we are part way to understanding the psychosis of the modern workplace.

I hear rhythms in most situations these days and they help me to find my own pace, to lock in and synthesise with my environment, but I don't hear them in the office, every sound is random, sporadic and chaotic.


The basis of office work is communication and analysis, yet sonically the conditions of the workplace are the opposite to what is required to carry out such tasks effectively and without putting undue strain on the brain and body.

Could this be another contributing factor to the headaches people quickly put down to excessive computer usage? the increase in psychological illness? Is the strain put on the brain in the office the new opium of the masses, gradually wearing people down until they can think no more?