I use my earphones often while walking around New York City, listening to podcasts. It is a habit I developed during the pandemic, which stuck with me.
My earphones tangle. I spend a lot of time untangling them. They look messy. So why do I stick with them instead of switching to slick wireless earbuds?
I keep them because they are visible. I know that when I wear them, I signal my absence. This makes me accountable. It helps me remember to take them off when interacting with store clerks or others along the way.
Wireless earbuds are different. They are nearly invisible. Hair hides them easily. We often approach people wearing them without realizing it, until they fail to respond.
As these encounters increase, we start assuming people are digitally elsewhere. We hesitate to engage. We are less likely to speak to strangers. Wireless earbuds are one more step into our private bubbles.
We’re losing spontaneous human connection, one invisible earbud at a time.
The choice to switch to wireless earbuds may seem like a small decision. But it is not. The road to isolation and increased loneliness is paved by many similar baby choices.
So I dig my heels here, with my unkempt tangled wired earphones.