Why does nobody talk about how loud coworking spaces actually are?

I mean I get that we're all supposed to be social and networking and whatever but I tried a spot in Chiang Mai last month and couldn't hear myself think. Random Skype calls, people eating crunchy snacks right next to me, someone having a full argument with their partner on speakerphone. Maybe it's just me but I thought the whole point was to get work done. Anyone else find these places impossible to focus in?

3 comments

3 Comments

gray62mo ago

I read somewhere that coworking spaces are basically just libraries for people who forgot their headphones. Definitely felt that way in Chiang Mai, the crunching sounds are the worst.

paul3462mo ago

Guess I never thought about it that way before, but you're right @gray6 - the crunching really does make them feel like loud libraries.

the_hugo21d agoMost Upvoted

Honestly, that whole crunching thing is just one symptom of a bigger problem I've noticed everywhere. It's like nobody in these spaces remembers that other people exist in the same room. I was at a coffee shop in Portland last week and three different people had their laptops on speakerphone calls, zero headphones. The whole loud library thing is real - it's like we've somehow forgotten that silence is actually a valid option. Tbh, I think coworking spaces just amplify the worst habits people already have at home or in regular cafes. Crunching is annoying but at least it's unintentional, the people who do it on purpose just get on my nerves more.