Throughout this semester, we are required to create 4 posts on this platform. Each month, we choose a topic of interest and write about it in relation to sound. So, my question is: when you go to write your post each month, how do you write it? You probably answered something along the lines of your computer, the internet, etc. What you’re missing is the main component: your keyboard.
I chose this month to talk about the sounds that keyboards make when you type on them. Keyboards can be their own separate “device” or, more commonly, combined into a laptop or computer. Since COVID, more and more businesses and corporations have navigated to remote work. This means that more and more individuals have been spending a significantly larger amount of time interacting with their computer and devices to complete their necessary work or educational requirements. While it has become second nature to hear your keyboard click and understand that the way in which we use a computer is through typing, the sound of the keyboard often goes overlooked. If you closed your eyes and only heard a recording (for example the one linked below) you would easily be able to identify that the noise linked is someone typing on a keyboard.
I wanted to write about this sound of a keyboard clicking to reiterate the idea that we often associate universal sounds with adjectives. For example, when I hear a keyboard clicking, I think of work, online research, homework, etc. I think I think this because this is often how I use my keyboard on my computer. This concept made me think about other sounds that make us think about certain things. What other examples can you think of? I think it is interesting that we often type so fast it sounds like white noise, but it is a result of a behavior: typing.
I also think it is really interesting to think about the evolution of a keyboard. For example, prior generations might have this association we have today but with a typewriter. Future generations may not have this association at all if keyboards end up becoming touch screen. Something about the physical tapping and visual aid of the letter or word appearing becomes satisfying on its own. As I write this, I am typing on my MacBook Air. I think that Apple products have a very specific keyboard “feeling” and when I type on other keyboards I definitely feel a difference. With all of the different keyboards out there, it is interesting how a sound as a result of a feeling can make us think a certain way. Next time you’re typing, think about the specific sounds that your keyboard makes and how it makes you feel!