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| 'Fake office noise helps me to focus working from home' | |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Being forced to work from home during lockdown has been isolating for many. | Being forced to work from home during lockdown has been isolating for many. |
| Some, like statistician Paul Hewson, have turned to websites providing artificial office noise to help. | Some, like statistician Paul Hewson, have turned to websites providing artificial office noise to help. |
| The sites, which provide background noises of things like printers and coffee machines, as well as people chatting, have attracted millions of hits during the crisis. | The sites, which provide background noises of things like printers and coffee machines, as well as people chatting, have attracted millions of hits during the crisis. |
| "Having the background office chatter means when I really need to concentrate I can," Mr Hewson told the BBC. | "Having the background office chatter means when I really need to concentrate I can," Mr Hewson told the BBC. |
| "I don't know whether its the office sound that works or just having a feeling of human contact." | "I don't know whether its the office sound that works or just having a feeling of human contact." |
| Mr Hewson has worked in a wide variety of settings in the past, from open plan offices to his own private office in academia. | Mr Hewson has worked in a wide variety of settings in the past, from open plan offices to his own private office in academia. |
| However, lockdown has been his first "extended experience of isolated working" and he has found it harder to concentrate being in the same environment all the time. | However, lockdown has been his first "extended experience of isolated working" and he has found it harder to concentrate being in the same environment all the time. |
| A friend suggested he try one of the increasingly popular "soundboards" available online , which offer a range of ambient noises and let you to control which sounds you put higher in the mix. | A friend suggested he try one of the increasingly popular "soundboards" available online , which offer a range of ambient noises and let you to control which sounds you put higher in the mix. |
| Mr Hewson found one called Office Noise Generator which helped. | Mr Hewson found one called Office Noise Generator which helped. |
| "After about a week I found the photocopier noise was annoying me, so I mixed that out. And voila, when I really need to concentrate I can." | "After about a week I found the photocopier noise was annoying me, so I mixed that out. And voila, when I really need to concentrate I can." |
| 'Started as a joke' | 'Started as a joke' |
| When lockdown hit, a number of experts set up office noise websites, largely as a bit of fun or entertainment. But many workers have found them useful and the response has surprised the people behind the free sites. | When lockdown hit, a number of experts set up office noise websites, largely as a bit of fun or entertainment. But many workers have found them useful and the response has surprised the people behind the free sites. |
| Belgium research engineer Stéphane Pigeon, who created Office Noise Generator, told the BBC: "When the pandemic hit and people starting to work from home, I released an office noise generator, really as a joke. I didn't think anyone would listen." | Belgium research engineer Stéphane Pigeon, who created Office Noise Generator, told the BBC: "When the pandemic hit and people starting to work from home, I released an office noise generator, really as a joke. I didn't think anyone would listen." |
| But many people did and he says his page has racked up 200,000 views since April. | But many people did and he says his page has racked up 200,000 views since April. |
| The Sound of Colleagues has done even better, attracting more than a million page views, including 164,000 from the UK. | The Sound of Colleagues has done even better, attracting more than a million page views, including 164,000 from the UK. |
| It was set up by Swedish sound design company Red Pipe studios when they had no work at the start of lockdown. | It was set up by Swedish sound design company Red Pipe studios when they had no work at the start of lockdown. |
| "It was a reaction to a new reality that was every bit as real for us in Sweden as anywhere else," head of production Tobias Norman told the BBC. | "It was a reaction to a new reality that was every bit as real for us in Sweden as anywhere else," head of production Tobias Norman told the BBC. |
| "Initially, we thought of it more as a light-hearted distraction during a very serious situation. | "Initially, we thought of it more as a light-hearted distraction during a very serious situation. |
| "We speculated people might actually enjoy the relative peacefulness of their home offices, but as it turned out it was quite the opposite." | "We speculated people might actually enjoy the relative peacefulness of their home offices, but as it turned out it was quite the opposite." |
| A third site I Miss The Office was set up by the Kids Creative Agency in Berlin. | A third site I Miss The Office was set up by the Kids Creative Agency in Berlin. |
| Fred Wordie, who created the noise generator, told the BBC: "As of this morning, we have had 1.2 million visits. From the UK we have had 50,000 visits." | Fred Wordie, who created the noise generator, told the BBC: "As of this morning, we have had 1.2 million visits. From the UK we have had 50,000 visits." |
| How does it work? | How does it work? |
| According to Mr Pigeon, noise generators are designed to mask a sound you don't want to hear - silence, for example - with a pleasant one. | According to Mr Pigeon, noise generators are designed to mask a sound you don't want to hear - silence, for example - with a pleasant one. |
| "The trick is for the pleasant noise to be constant so that your brain will filter it out from your conscious perception," he said. | "The trick is for the pleasant noise to be constant so that your brain will filter it out from your conscious perception," he said. |
| "After a couple of minutes, you won't actively hear it anymore - especially if you are doing something else, like working on your computer - but this noise will still block the nuisance you didn't want to hear in first place." | "After a couple of minutes, you won't actively hear it anymore - especially if you are doing something else, like working on your computer - but this noise will still block the nuisance you didn't want to hear in first place." |
| 'Feeling of isolation' | 'Feeling of isolation' |
| He says he was surprised to learn the website was also helping workers to be more productive. | He says he was surprised to learn the website was also helping workers to be more productive. |
| "It's like if the brain associated that sonic environment with work, and was looking for the same sounds to enter its 'comfort zone'," he said. | "It's like if the brain associated that sonic environment with work, and was looking for the same sounds to enter its 'comfort zone'," he said. |
| Mr Norman thinks it also helps people feel less lonely when working from home. | Mr Norman thinks it also helps people feel less lonely when working from home. |
| "People seem to really enjoy the 'company' provided by office sounds. It takes away the feeling of isolation. | "People seem to really enjoy the 'company' provided by office sounds. It takes away the feeling of isolation. |
| "We as humans feel more comfortable together than alone, even if we are not actively engaging with the group that surrounds us. | "We as humans feel more comfortable together than alone, even if we are not actively engaging with the group that surrounds us. |
| "And with sounds, we can trick the mind into thinking you are actually physically together with other people." | "And with sounds, we can trick the mind into thinking you are actually physically together with other people." |
| For Paul Hewson, there's an added benefit. "It's also another way of demarcating work from home. Office noise on, you're working. Office noise off, you are at home." | For Paul Hewson, there's an added benefit. "It's also another way of demarcating work from home. Office noise on, you're working. Office noise off, you are at home." |