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Although the white-collar labor force has grown much in recent years, actual productivity has been declining. Some have observed that the problem lies in the increasing worker density of office buildings. There are simply more people being employed per square foot of office space. As such, declining productivity is a consequence of worker interruptions and overcrowding. Noise is a big factor in this problem. As offices become more densely populated, there are more employee conversations and equipment noise that creates the kind of distractions that cut into worker productivity. In effect, the growth of the white collar industries has reached a tipping point in which an increasing worker population means less productivity from the space shared, not more.
There is a way to combat the negative effects of office noise pollution. It is called white noise, a form of noise that has more to with wavelengths and less to do with the visual spectrum. It is a blend of multiple sound frequencies emitted across a single stream, similar to how white light is the color which results from the combination of multiple light frequencies.
Due to these properties, white noise can mask most noise interruptions around it when broadcast loudly enough, simply because it can absorb these noises into its own mix of frequencies. It can effectively combat the various forms of noise pollution which exist in the office today such as street traffic, ringing telephones, idle chit chat and humming workstations and can alleviate serious emotional and physical stress from such noise.
In recent decades, there has been surge of popularity in white noise machines, which have proven to be very useful within the office environment. They provide a calm and soothing respite from the noise pollution which pervades many an office space and have proven to help increase productivity. They are also used out of the office to help people sleep at night without interruption.
Truth be told, true white noise is not typically generated, as it exists on an extremely flat spectrum, which is annoying to the ear. As such, most machines duplicate the soothing sounds of waterfalls, birds chirping and droning forms such as radio static and the distant running of trains. In effect, there are many kinds of white noise machines that can be chosen to suit one’s taste and reduce noise-related stress.
- Frank Barnett
