Pro tip: The echo in an empty mall changed my mind about open offices

Last weekend, I checked out the old Pine Valley Mall that's been closed for a decade. I crept through the dark halls where stores used to be full of life. In what was left of the food court, I found cracked floors and dusty benches. The silence was so deep, my own breathing sounded loud. That quiet got me thinking about my loud office with phones ringing and people chatting all day. Why do we accept so much noise when we could have calm? Maybe I should look for a job that lets me work from home. Stumbling into that still space made me see how much peace I lack at work.

3 comments

3 Comments

benc231mo ago

Read a study once that said open offices actually make people talk less face to face and use email more. They tracked some companies and found everyone just put on headphones to block the noise. Kind of defeats the whole point of being "collaborative." Your mall story nails it, that constant background buzz is exhausting. Makes me miss having a door to close sometimes.

tarahart1mo ago

Seriously, that study hits the nail on the head. It's like we have all these ways to talk, but everyone just hides behind screens and headphones now. I notice it everywhere, from cafes to waiting rooms, people blocking out the noise around them. We're told we're more connected, but it feels like we're just putting up higher walls with fancier gadgets. So much for bringing people together, huh?

sandrah691mo ago

My old library used to have that same hollow quiet, and now they ripped out the study carrels for a "community hub" that's always full of chatter. It's exactly what tarahart said about putting up walls, we traded quiet spaces for noisy ones and then bought headphones to get the quiet back. The whole setup just makes everyone tired.