I work in a shared space with my family and (sometimes gladly) share in whatever others are doing. If you are forced to be in a place with strangers, maybe think about them as family, and count time you are talking with them as cheated ( and talk accordingly). One of the baalei musar was overheard asking a farmer about his chicken and at the same time murmuring gemora to himself.
A practical suggestion: use earphones visibly attached to the laptop and shake ad if you are listening to music.