Are we being conditioned with beeps, bleeps, clicks, rings, jingles, engines, and buzzes of an artificial soundscape that is acting to destroy our relationship to the sounds of the natural world, further alienating us from the nature of Earth?

The espresso machine hisses, the GPS speaks its directions, and the cell phone plays a little song telling you someone must talk to you. The French fry cooker bleats incessantly; the keyboard clicks and the fasten your seat belt alarm beeps to annoyance. We park our car to music played in the lot, music blares at us while shopping, TV’s in restaurants remind us of things we are missing in our attempt to have a moment for ourselves. The microwave sounds the alarm that the meal within its innards is ready to be consumed, the electronic box next to your pillow rattles you awake, and your computer starts up with a bleeping symphony.

How long before your shirt warns you that your deodorant is failing or your glasses alert you with a snappy ad from your optometrist that your vision has deteriorated since your last checkup 14 months ago? Will chirping skin sensors let us know to step in the sun to replenish our vitamin D. Dddrrrinng, dddrrrinng….oh excuse me, my bladder is texting me that I need to drink more water.