Blog post #6

1. Though I concede that digital sound blocks our perception of the quality of sound that help us feel intimate, I still insist that the development of digital sound can help people experience intimacy in more ways. As Krukowski says that “unlike the old analog phones, cell phones don’t transmit the full range of sound picked up by their mikes. Instead, they digitally processed that sound. Compressing it to remove whatever engineers have decided is unnecessary data.” “The compression of our voices on the cell phone makes for smaller data packets that are easier to share over digital networks.” Engineers know that these digital sound loss those sonic qualities that feel intimate are not ideal, but their goal is to get basic information and enable us communicate with people all over the world more easily and efficiently. Just like us now, we need to take online courses, digital sound makes it easier for us to communicate on the digital network. Even though these digital sounds may not sound that intimate by processing them differently from real sounds, they allow us to be intimately connected, which is another way of helping us experience intimacy. Krukowski also says that “feeling is build on the sound of voice.” As we know, everyone’s voice is different, and the voice gives others a different feeling. In my opinion, sound is also unique when digitally processed. Therefore, even if the digital sound is removed some kinds of qualities, we can still distinguish the sound of each person’s voice and get different feelings. For example, my accounting professor’s digital voice made me feel closer than my btm’s professor. There is no doubt that they are good professors, but their voice has different frequency and amplitude. I feel very different from them.
2. As the article writes that ASMR (Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response) is a new word to describe the phenomenon of perception, which is characterized by: the stimulation of sight, hearing, touch, smell or perception makes a person produce a unique in the brain, scalp, head or other areas of the body. Although ASMR has a large number of fanatical followers and conflicting evidence to prove the existence of this phenomenon, there are few or even no scientific explanations or experimental data to support it. I knew this new word before I read this article, and I have seen some videos. However, I also feel very clam like author when I watch the videos or hear the videos. I don’t understand this feeling. I think the most interesting and important point about sound of ASMR is that they can make people feel clam, relaxed and comfortable. Even though I don’t have an intracranial orgasm from these sounds, I feel calm, relaxed and comfortable. ASMR’s videos producers use many ways to produce various enjoyable and attractive sounds. What’s more, as the author mentioned, these sounds may also make people feel sleepy. That is interesting.