Hide & Seek
Have you ever played hide and seek with a small child? They have this funny habit of thinking that if they can’t see you, you can’t see them. Their whole body can be in view, but they’ve covered their eyes with a blanket and think they’re invisible! Besides their own giggling, they give themselves away by not realizing that just because they can’t see you does not mean you can’t see them. We laugh at their childish foolishness, yet as adults, we often make the same mistake….just with noise. We assume that if we can’t hear something or someone, then that person can’t hear us. Usually, we’re wrong.
For example, the other evening, my family and I were at some new acquaintenances’ home for dinner. As is every mother’s custom, my mom decides to tell us everything she knows about the people, including some sensitive medical records in order to help us better understand some awkward situations. As helpful as this information may have been, say in the car, it was not appropriate in their home. Because the family was behind a partition, my mom mistakenly assumed that out of sight meant out of ear shot. Sigh. Fortunately, no real harm was done, but I shushed her nonetheless and gave her a tardy lesson on white noise and who benefits.
Establishing Speech Privacy
Speech privacy is a commodity- it’s not easily attained without being intentional, that is. It can be achieved with a little effort, though. It’s not that homes need to offer it for dinner guests, but businesses and medical practices could certainly benefit from fewer overheard conversations. The benefit is twofold:
Distractions and a lack of confidentiality are a real threat for many facilities and businesses. Sound masking, even individual sound machines, can go a long way in protecting sensitive information
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