Survey: Would You Be Interested in a Social-Friendy Decibel Meter?

[Markku]

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https://docs.google.com/a/newschool...Ae9gyfI-zaUVd3BnuQKbcp8WKtdJuf1xAtXA/viewform​

A message from long-time Tinnitus Talk member and former moderator @awbw8:

Hello my friends, after more or less habituating to my tinnitus, I'm trying to see, as a designer, how I might be able to make something positive for the tinnitus community. I can't offer a cure, but I am doing research in order to get a better idea of the needs of tinnitus sufferers trying to enjoy a slightly less stressful time in public/social spaces of unknown volume.

In my time writing to other sufferers, as well as my own experiences trying to be social in a loud city (NYC), I've found that a lot of the people I've talked to have trouble finding places to socialize that they feel will be adequately quiet, that they're embarrassed to check large dB monitors, or don't trust the ones on their phones. Sometimes it's hard to tell if it really is dangerously loud, or if I'm just anxious and all sound seems loud to me.

I'm not sure exactly where the research will lead me in terms of a project, but learning from you, my community, is the first step. I urge you to please take this short survey, send it to anyone you know who has tinnitus, and please if I have missed something you think it pertinent, use the "other" text entry boxes within the survey. Your opinions are so important to me, and I do want to use the skills I have to help make a horrible condition even just a little bit easier to manage in the world.

Thank you for your time and the support you've provided; I hope to give that back to you.

Sincerely,
awbw8

 

[awbw8]

Thank you so much to everyone taking this survey, having evidence of need and the plight of those with tinnitus will enable me to do more work on our behalf as sufferers.

I want to help us not only through devices, but through advocacy and awareness, so the more evidence (survey takers) the better - pass this baby on!

Again, Thank you, Danke, Merci etc. to our lovely global community

 

[glynis]

Done!

 

[PaulBe]

This is how I like to see people make their fortune.

 

[The Red Viper]

Done.

 

[SoulStation]

Done

 

[Fangen]

Great initiative! Would love to see something new on the market, done the survey now!

 

[maltese]

I'll buy anything that gives an accurate measurement (+- a few dB) but still looks "casual".

I want to know if I should leave but if I start wearing a pro dB meter on me, I'll be baeless forever xD

Could be a nice idea to integrate it with a phone app and make some notification appear when "safe level" is exceeded.

 

[Julien87]

Done, thank you for this initiative

 

[Ed209]

Done.

 

[Foncky]

Done thank you.

I don't think it'd be good for us to wear it all the time (we can't always be monitoring the sound), but the "watch" idea is good.

 

[OnceUponaTime]

Done.

 

[Tommi_boi]

Done

 

[papu]

Done and i will buy it in a heartbeat hope that it has some memory so you can check the loudest you have been exposed say in the last hour

 

[Andunwoody]

Done.......but I'm firmly in the 'why would I even need this camp'. To me it seems like an opportunity for people to profit from other people's anxiety.

 

[awbw8]

Done.......but I'm firmly in the 'why would I even need this camp'. To me it seems like an opportunity for people to profit from other people's anxiety.

Hi Andunwoody,

I completely respect your point of view, that's why I'm doing the survey; right now I'm just assessing need. If the survey said "hey this sounds like crap I don't want it" then I'd just stop the project there.

I have tinnitus myself and the whole idea for this came from my own desire to have something like this for myself. In no way am I looking to profit off of my fellow sufferers. By no means is this trying to be any kind of cure, or a "wear it all the time" kind of thing to feed into anxiety, for me I just wanted a less obnoxious/disruptive and more reliable way to make sure I'm safe in loud social settings, which for me, relieves some anxiety. I've already gotten a lot of great input and potential issues I hadn't thought of from respondents to the survey and I hope I get a lot more.

I've had this idea for a couple of years, but have been going to school at night and working full time, but now I've graduated and will have a bit more time, so while I can't promise things will happen super quickly, I don't want this to be a pipe dream either. Should it come to be, I'm going to do some prototyping, testing etc. to make sure it does serve our community as best it can, and hopefully from there I can help to open up channels of advocacy, awareness and more. An accompanying app is in the dream plan, a lot of things not in the initial survey are in my hopes for where this could go, but one step at a time.

Should it end up being a working, useful thing that people actually want, then I would of course be transparent about any pricing (I am far from wealthy and live with three roommates so I don't think I could self-fund a full give away), but that is a ways off and not something I'm thinking about at this point. People talking about my making money honestly surprised me, because it's a bit hard for me to imagine that many people wanting it; I am just looking to help and even if I'm the only one who wants it, it's still worth it to me.

I just want you (and anyone reading this) to know I'm not looking to make or sell snake-oil, I'm just looking to meet a need and make life a little easier for us, because I'm just not the scientist who's going to make a cure, but I am good designer and creator and I'm doing what I can.

I hope you have a lovely day!

 

[Tweaker]

Done.

 

[Amber]

Done!

 

[MrBonk]

If you truly care about your ears, you won't give a fuck to carry around a good dB meter in your car or in a bag.
Who cares how you look.

 

[awbw8]

If you truly care about your ears, you won't give a fuck to carry around a good dB meter in your car or in a bag.
Who cares how you look.

Hi MrBonk, I completely hear you re: carrying a good dB meter. I generally just use earplugs unless its pretty quiet, just to be safe.

That said, I had a time where even quiet places made me fear it was too loud, because my sensitivity was wonky from the acoustic trauma. It could be 30dB and I'd be panicking while trying to have lunch, constantly glancing at my meter at dinner, lunch, on a date (trying to date and glancing into your bag to poke around with a dB meter is ridiculous by the way, but it was a rough time ha).

So to me, a "social-friendly" meter isn't necessarily just about avoiding some kind of social embarrassment, but rather about the following: not having to constantly look at something in a way that interrupts your time with the people you care about, having something (hopefully) kind of cool or nondescript looking so you don't have to explain your T right away if you don't want to (ex: on a first date). Finally, someone w/o T isn't terribly likely to tow around a large dB meter just to be safe (and I'd love it to possibly help with prevention possibly - if I had kids I might give them one), and I'm also thinking about teens etc. who are already dealing with peer pressure and everything else - no need to make it harder.

I'd love to get a lot more responses on the survey, because I really do value all feedback and perspectives. I'm quite aware I'm not making a cure (but I fully support those who are trying to!), but it's just about making life a little less crap for anyone who might want it, or a little more safe for those who don't know. Without question, there are plenty of people (probably most people) who don't necessarily want or need this. It's a passion project for me and if it helps others yay, if I end up in the garage tinkering and no one wants it but me, then still a good experiment. Just if I'm tinkering, I may as well tinker for all

Thanks for the feedback!

 

[K.Sarah]

Done. Thank you for doing this

 

[Michael Leigh]

completed.

 

[jdjd09]

I would love something that could be accurate first, have a size that could fit on my key-chain and durable, and last be reasonable in price. I would say in that order of importance.

To be honest, I was looking for a product like this and was having issues finding it.

I think the best thing to do is not to make it a "wearable thing". I would say the best thing would be a miniature decibel reader that can attach to key's. Reason? Keys are always carried by people, people can put the sound meter in there pocket easily, and it wouldn't be in sight all the time.

 

[bichuelo]

Done

 

[awbw8]

Hello everyone (and @Markku and @Steve). I just wanted to say thank you so much for so many of you taking the time to fill out this little survey, I've learned so much from you feedback and while I can't promise a fast turn-around per se as I still have a full-time job etc., I am definitely dedicated to continue working on the project.

I'm so happy to say we have 695 responses so far. Please know that you (or anyone you know) can still respond and I will keep gauging off of that and reading any commentary. The original goal was 1,000, which I wasn't sure was possible, but even getting this close is wonderful.


The best to all of you and thank you again for your support and thoughts!

 

[awbw8]

Hey everyone (and @Markku and @Steve ),

I just wanted to update everyone who took the survey I put out last year. I used some of the data as work in my portfolio to apply for graduate school and am now in a program working in interaction and product design.

I'm hoping to use the data to create a device/service/campaign to raise awareness of tinnitus, safeguard the ears of the young and unknowing and make social life even just a tiny bit easier for those of us with T in a loud world.

I was reading some of the comments today and wanted people to know that while progress isn't necessarily speedy, progress is being made and I'm still in the game. This year or next year I may be running some ethnographic research to help support and inform my thesis work and hope to be able to speak with some of you fine people.


Good wishes and thanks to you all!