Taeki and I spent 11:10am to 12:10pm on Wednesday morning wandering through Washington Square Park and the surrounding area observing people interacting with technology. At first we were vigilant about recording every single person we saw, but eventually we were so overwhelmed that we needed to just start recording the bigger picture instead. At one point, we looked around and realized that every single person we could see on the sidewalk in either direction was using either a phone or some device connected to ear buds (most likely iPods).

People who were using phones fell into a few different categories. Most people were looking down at their phone, hunching to dreate their own little worlds while they sent text messages or manipulated controls, regardless of whether they were walking or sitting still. Some people who were talking on the phone looked straight ahead and spoke loudly, while others who leaned or sat down rarely stayed still for long. People paced back and forth or jiggled their feet. Many people who were talking on the phone were doing other things at the same time: smoking cigarettes, eating food, drinking, pushing strollers, walking dogs, even listening to iPods. Most people using their phones were scowling and looking very serious, whether looking down at the controls,  holding them to their ears, or using bluetooth headsets. People talking on the phone walked more quickly than other device users, particularly those wearing headphones or ear buds.

Man with Bluetooth

Man with Laptop and Phone

In general, people wearing ear buds seemed more relaxed and outward-looking than those using other devices. The exception to this occurred when people were scrolling through controls, in which case their brows furrowed, and they bent their necks to focus on their devices. A few people wearing headphones or earbuds were walking and talking with other people.

Several people in the park were using laptops. Many were eating or drinking coffee, and most were focused and hunched, similarly to those using phone controls. We noticed one woman wearing headphones, talking, and holding a tin of lip gloss in front of the built in camera on her Mac, possibly chatting with someone.

Laptop Lunch

Scowling at her Laptop

Two Women