I haven't given this much thought, but come to think of it I think it's true.
Why have people stopped using headphones in public?
Once you notice it, you'll see that it's happening all around us almost everywhere we go.
There's the woman on FaceTime at the next table in the restaurant, the man scrolling Instagram Reels during the elementary school band concert, the employee in a virtual meeting at the pool sitting next to someone reading, the fellow commuters or travelers enjoying some tunes — all on speakerphone.
It hasn't been an immediate change, but slowly, more people in public places are foregoing headphones and just loudly sharing their digital dalliances with everyone in their immediate social space.
With so many headphone options available, it's a baffling choice. Do you really want me to hear all about your mom’s recent doctor’s appointment while we're both in the cereal aisle at Target? All the best intentions about not eavesdropping are difficult to uphold when a stranger in close radius has the volume turned way up. So what gives?
"They're thinking about themselves," says Taya Cohen, professor of organizational behavior and theory at Carnegie Mellon University. But not necessarily in a malevolent or purposely rude way.
Why have people stopped using headphones in public?
Once you notice it, you'll see that it's happening all around us almost everywhere we go.
There's the woman on FaceTime at the next table in the restaurant, the man scrolling Instagram Reels during the elementary school band concert, the employee in a virtual meeting at the pool sitting next to someone reading, the fellow commuters or travelers enjoying some tunes — all on speakerphone.
It hasn't been an immediate change, but slowly, more people in public places are foregoing headphones and just loudly sharing their digital dalliances with everyone in their immediate social space.
With so many headphone options available, it's a baffling choice. Do you really want me to hear all about your mom’s recent doctor’s appointment while we're both in the cereal aisle at Target? All the best intentions about not eavesdropping are difficult to uphold when a stranger in close radius has the volume turned way up. So what gives?
"They're thinking about themselves," says Taya Cohen, professor of organizational behavior and theory at Carnegie Mellon University. But not necessarily in a malevolent or purposely rude way.
