The Headphones Phenomenon

Introduction

Ever since the 1980s, the term 'headphones' has been used to describe everything we wear on our heads to listen to music - from actual wired headphones back then, to the 2020s AirPods - even though those are clearly earphones and they are wireless. The term I am coining at the moment is called the 'headphones phenomenon' which details the fact that within the last twenty years I have seen society go from not really wearing headphones to people wearing them everywhere they go and all the time.

This applies to me as well. Sometimes I won't realise how long I have had my headphones in until I take them out after a few hours travelling and it will be a horrible few seconds where there is only the noise of the outside world there to greet me. No more T. Rex, no Elvis, no Dylan and definitely no Rocky Horror songs. I find it depressing and honestly, I can't wait to put my headphones back in on the way home again.

Where did this come from? Surely, society can learn to use things properly and without excess, right? I mean, just look at phones, sugar, and alcohol - oh wait... Well, take a look at social media, Amazon, and caffeine... no, not there either. I guess we can't. But, unlike all the things I have just mentioned, headphones don't have any addictive qualities, do they? Why do people, like myself and (probably) like you, wear headphones everywhere, all the time, and every hour of the day when we are out by ourselves? Why can't we stand it when we are without them?

So, which one are you?

Part 1: Reasoning

I Like Listening to Music

Many people, believe it or not, simply like listening to music. I have to say that I am one of these people. Listening to music, especially music that makes you feel good, can turn a negative attitude into a positive one and let’s face it, we all need that. Podcasts, music etc. can always make us feel better and so, if you’re one of those groggy people first thing in the morning like I am that cannot wait to just plug themselves in and listen to music to brighten up their day - then I think you are one of these simpler types.

However, this can also be addictive and mess up your eardrums so definitely watch out for that. I am one of those people that not only wears my earphones all the time but also doesn’t really notice when other people can hear them too. I will sit there mouthing the words to myself and tapping my feet but I would never think ‘hey, can other people hear this?’ I listen to quite good music so I’m sure they appreciate it too.

No really though, if this is you - this cannot be good for your ears and might also give you a headache or migraine without you realising it. Be safe and listen at an appropriate volume. Noise cancelling headphones are always an option meaning that the volume may not negatively effect you as much.

I Feel Secure and Comfortable

Many people, especially those with mental health issues, feel more comfortable and secure when wearing headphones in the outside world. Back when I myself was on medications, I found that it was pretty much the same thing. Wearing headphones gives us a sense of familiarity as we are probably listening to songs we have heard a thousand times and therefore we feel more ‘at home’ even when out of the house.

People with reported anxieties have often made a case for wearing headphones out of the house to make themselves feel more relaxed as it is a case of repeating behaviours (wearing headphones becomes part of a routine), or even it becomes a part of their own personal world (like having theme music, they tend to trust the sounds of their own headphones more than the sounds of the outside world because there are no surprises). This can be a very effective method of reducing anxiety and this is probably also why you should never disturb someone who is wearing headphones outdoors. You could trigger something you didn’t mean to.

I Don't Want People Talking to Me

Many people don’t want to be disturbed in the outside world and so, they show that by wearing headphones even if there’s no music playing. From asking people, I know that many wear headphones without music on just to show others the ‘do not disturb me’ sentence without having to say it (mainly because it can sound rude). This is considerably more difficult if you’re wearing AirPods though and you’re a person with hair that covers their ears as nobody can see your AirPods.

AirPods having a long battery life, no wires and great connection abilities means that myself and many others have switched to this easy, effective and long-lasting lifestyle (and since the iPhone stopped making places to actually plug your headphones in we really had no choice). But it also means that if I don’t want anyone talking to me (perhaps I am busy), I have to make sure I brush my short hair behind my ears to make the statement loud and clear regardless if anything is actually on my headphones or not.

It Wakes Me Up in the Morning

Wearing headphones with loud blasting music first thing in the morning before work can work to your advantage as well because you may be one of those people who uses it to help them wake up. Admittedly, I do not actually do this because my mornings are normally so bad that I would end up hating the songs I’m listening to. I’m pretty scared of hating something I really enjoy.

But I have known people who purposefully play things like loud rock music or heavy metal in order to get their brains awake in the morning and that is perfectly fine. Honestly though, I would be worried for these people who do it every single day as that volume and that often cannot be good for your ear health and might, as we have already said, cause headaches and migraines resulting you to feel worse rather than better.

It Makes Me Feel Confident

Making yourself feel more confident for a day of work or travel is important as you never know what you could encounter. The strange thing is that a lot of people actually feel more confident after listening to some of their favourite songs as they feel more comfortable with themselves. It is a similar reason to the people who listen to music because it’s a familiar sound, these people are listening to music to become more familiar with their own personalities. Maybe you have to put on a persona different to your true self when you go to work, like I do.

I listen to music to portray myself as more confident and self-assured - even if the kind of music I listen to may do that in a questionable way, it is still something. Confidence is key and headphones can help. The problem is self-awareness, which when we wear headphones, we need to make sure we are still doing. Unchecked confidence is a bit of a weird one and you are not the protagonist of the story of the world. Without the sounds of the outside world yes, it is great fun to be yourself or act confidently, but it is also a good idea to remember what is going on around you.

Part 2: The Science

More than often I have found that I have been wearing headphones all the time everywhere I go. That is perfectly fine and normal. But I was asked more than recently where I was when I was sitting on a bus. I explained I was on the bus and then they proceeded to ask me where the bus was at that particular time. I found that I didn’t know. This wasn’t because I was unaware of where the bus was heading but it was because I pay so little attention to where it is until I get to where I need to go. Why? I am tired and I have my headphones in. I am normally a million miles away listening to some sort of song or podcast and honestly, until I reach my destination it is probably completely pointless at any time of the day to ask me where I am.

This was not only the case for the bus, but has even been the case for where I am walking. I pay no attention, walking in a direction I have walked many times and therefore, know like the back of my hand. It was a weird glitch in the Matrix when I realised I had not got a clue where I was but the point is, I knew where I was going. The inbuilt routine blended with my attention being taken up by the songs in my ears seems to have made me completely oblivious to anything that was happening around me. This is somewhat of a bad thing, but it isn’t all doom and gloom for headphone-wearers.

I have heard more than one person say either online or in real life that they do not know why everyone walks around wearing headphones and how it makes them seem unfriendly. Well, the counteraction for that is that you are not entitled to anyone’s kindness and time especially if they are a complete stranger. You don’t have the right to impose conversation on another person and if you do, you better hope it is warranted or they probably will tell you to go away.

Wearing headphones seems to be the best social signal for not wanting to talk to strangers in public and not wanting them to talk to you and yet, there are still people who think this behaviour is odd even though it has become since a massive societal phenomenon. In some situations it is even considered polite. From what I understand, the psychology of wearing headphones seems to be just as strong as the physical health benefits and negatives - there is just as much research and I have found it more than interesting to investigate why this is.

Apart from being a social signal, it can make the wearer experience certain things that were discussed in part one, such as: familiarity, confidence and security. However, there have been psychological studies to also suggest that constantly having these feelings when out in public can put us at a disadvantage when it comes to building relationships with others. Our loss within screens being another big one. This net negative seems to outweigh a lot of the positives and yet, it is well known that we will not stop doing it no matter what. What could be worse than talking to a stranger in public? Remember, this is me you’re talking to - of course this essay is a tiny bit biased.

What even is the science?

What is the science behind wearing our headphones all the time? Why do we do it and is it actually beneficial to our health? There have been speculations about our hearing as we get older declining much faster than that of the previous generations, our social experiences being limited or different with our scope more introverted, our perception of reality being skewed to more narcissistic extremes, and even rumours about getting cancer from our AirPods just because we wear them too much. But how much of this is actually true?

Experts from here, there and everywhere have suggested that there is some amount of scary truth that lies within the negative impact around the fact we wear our headphones all the time. But is there anything that presents us with solid proof of the advantages and disadvantages of headphone-wearing habit that has developed over the last decade or so?

The Science Behind Why We Do It

According to numerous studies, most people just do it to block out unwanted noise. The science states that we like ourselves a lot more than we like other people and the whole deal about being a millennial means that we live in the 'Me' generation (I would like to reference Bo Burnham for this but I honestly don't know how, it was his idea though). For this reason, we prefer to be lost in our own worlds and listening to our favourite songs helps us do that.

Some studies even suggest that the act of wearing earphones all day, especially when out in the real world can act as a mental health pacifier for those suffering from conditions such as anxiety, depression and also those who suffer with the condition of autism. That little bit of music, such as favourite songs or even songs that are familiar act as a shield against things that could possibly cause the person pain. This means they can do things in public that are considered socially normal and behave regularly without much worry.

Other studies have suggested that people do it for remaining distant from reality and therefore, they have a good perception that people will not try to communicate. This is a blend between the social signifier of unavailability and the "Me" generation thing I was talking about. Just because you are wearing headphones does not mean you do not get to participate in reality but, it is a pretty good signal that means 'don't talk to me'. Unfortunately, for me this means I'm completely available because I've only just realised I sit there singing along to the songs - that is fairly embarrassing. In fact I'm doing it right now, here we go again.

People Who Don't Do It?

I have noticed in my time that there are a lot of people who do not do this and they are called 'not-millennials' or, people born before the millennial era. I bet you, reader born after the fall of the Berlin Wall, that your parents don't wear earphones or headphones everywhere. I do not know why this is or why they are different to us. I have never in all my life actually seen an older person sitting with headphones on. It is always just people under 40. Unfortunately I don't have the science on this but I would just like you to know that there are people out there that don't do it. So this stuff doesn't apply to everyone.

The Impact on Our Health

Physical Health

Many people say that there is a negative effect of headphones on our health, and honestly, I can see why. If you look around, you can probably see it is a society-wide addiction. At this very moment, I am doing it. So are a lot of other people. It is something we cannot get away from and must embrace for the future. Many studies agree that things like an ear infection and tinnitus are unavoidable (if you have genetic tinnitus like me, then I feel for you; this is horrible—it is hell. Thankfully, I only have it in one ear—I know many who have it in both).

It is suggested that there should be five-minute breaks between the hours, and honestly, I don't know anyone who does that. It seems to be the go-to solution, but the question of whether it really works goes untested in reality, mainly because nobody does it. It is well-known by now that hearing loss is one of the inevitabilities of wearing earphones and headphones all the time, and to be fair, I think we were all aware of that to begin with. We might be ignorant, but we're not stupid.

Mental Health

There is a lot of research on how headphones and earphones can contribute or hinder the good things about our mental health. I think we need to keep an open mind to the fact that everyone has a different ideal about their mental health such as: if we have depression, we would have it differently and therefore, different ideas of what we want in terms of results. Therefore, there's a lot of wiggle room for the whole mental health argument.

I have seen two different articles that state that earphones and headphones have opposite impacts on mental health with one being positive in terms of reducing anxiety and stress and the other stating that it increases stress and illness. I think we need to take this argument lightly.

The one I really wanted to look at was the known correlation between recall and wearing headphones. There have been numerous studies that have found that there was a massively increased memory in those who wore headphones and earphones when studying in comparison to those who did not.

Our Perception of Reality

Is it really true that our perception of reality changes the more we wear headphones out in public?

One very interesting point I read was from Eva Wiseman in The Guardian, 2019 in her article "Wearing headphones on my commute is blurring reality". She explains being "used to doing 3 things at a time" and the idea that having something read to you is somewhat satisfying. I like this article because it doesn't seem to take the usual stance which is: anything millennials do is apparently automatically a bad thing.

One term I enjoy is 'artificial environment'. One article I read considers wearing headphones a part of virtual reality as they play a part in creating an environment which is wholly unreal for its listener. Therefore, when it comes to feeling more comfortable and dispelling those emotions associated with anxiety, this can also be a net positive. However, it can also alter are actual understanding of the real world by giving us a chance to distance ourselves so much that we can choose not to experience reality the way it is.

This is pretty great as a self-critical point. I was actually just sitting in a coffee shop without any AirPods in and became a little angsty that I could actually hear conversations I did not want to listen to. It only took me about five minutes to stick my earphones back in. I can tell you that ordering coffee is not very difficult when you've got music playing in your ears.

What Might the Future Look Like?

We have been doing this for just over a decade now and so, we have to speculate about our futures. Will it get to the point where people simply don't have conversations out in the open anymore? Or, can we shift that to a positive where people do not feel concerned about the dreaded 'stranger danger' because of this new social norm where you don't talk to someone with headphones on? We can see a number of things possibly happening which include but are not limited to:

1) People become more self-contained and narcissistic

A great argument is that constantly living in your own world shifts your perspective so that you are the centre of this universe that, through paying absolutely no mind to anyone else, is filled with your own personal theme music. This can increase this weird narcissism that people are going through in which they don't remember other people exist or they walk around with no self-awareness as nobody else is perceived. This could be wholly negative as we already have people not looking where they are going and walking into each other. This is just bound to get much worse than it is at the moment.

2) Social etiquette becomes easier to read with strangers

Here's a positive: social etiquette and rules become far easier to read among strangers. It is not that the older generations do not know the unwritten rule of 'leave me alone when I'm wearing headphones' it is just that a lot of them choose to ignore it and start conversations with young people who genuinely do not want one. In the near future, I can see the act of not talking to strangers with headphones on becoming easier read and better understood. It is still early days at the moment and not everyone has had the time to process this rule. As we become more of a society of headphone-wearers, I believe that this rule will be more widespread and therefore, becomes a positive for those people, like myself, who wear headphones and earphones all the time.

3) A generation of people with hearing loss?

As we wear headphones nearly all the time, does this mean that the millennial generation will be a whole group of people with quite bad hearing loss? There are plenty of studies, as we have briefly talked about, to support wearing your headphones for only an hour or so per day, but nobody does that do they? I mean, it's only 7am here with me right now and I've already been wearing them for an hour or so and I probably will be until about half past 8. It's not that we don't want to pay attention to the rules, it is just that we find them impossible in the circumstances. What if a stranger wanted a conversation with us? We don't have that kind of time, we are genuinely sorry. Therefore, the fear that we will be a generation of people with hearing loss is cancelled out by the positives. But will we be that generation? It is highly likely.

4) A generation of people with improved focus?

Many studies have stated that listening to music on headphones can improve focus when you're working or reading, or even studying. We millennials started a craze of wearing headphones whilst studying to the point where we were allowed to do it at school during revision sessions on our MP3 players and such. It was one of those crazes which made us all silent and studious and, I bet for people who were trying to get us to revise it was probably a blessing. A bunch of teenagers that shut up and studied and didn't bother anyone. This also meant that my generation could read for long periods of time (but you know that, just look at the other articles on my page, I love reading). We are the generation that has tons of focus. Unfortunately that also means a lot of us are one-trick-ponies but we can't have it both ways.

Conclusion

The reasons we wear headphones, earphones, AirPods and the rest wherever we go is backed up by science and looked down on by many people. Online, you will find a whole host of angered people who state that society's collapse is thanks to the headphones phenomenon and honestly, I think that is a bit extreme. In many ways, it has actually helped us to remain focused, do more and it has helped many women like myself to have a good excuse to not talk to creeps.

The social signal that comes attached to wearing headphones will hopefully be more widespread and well-known in the future in which we will no longer have to remove our AirPods for a stranger wanting to break a social norm and speak to us. Why? Well, it is perfectly fine to talk to someone who has not got them in, but the person who has is probably doing something you don't know about or, see the reasons stated in Part One - it probably isn't all sunshine and rainbows for them.

Most of the benefits and disadvantages are far too early to talk about but what I do know is that it would probably help more than hinder. I like this idea of people understanding each other without having to speak. It is a special human skill of non-verbal communication that we should learn to appreciate more. Maybe if we start thinking about what kind of person we each are, we would be able to see the positives and negatives more clearly.

Cited Sources:

• Cuevas-Landeros, S. (2022). The artificial environment created by headphones. The Bowdoin Orient. [Online].
• Wiseman, E. (2019). Wearing headphones on my commute is blurring reality. The Guardian. [Online]. 24 February 2019.