Gaming? That new song? Annoying room mate? Hello Headphones.
Headphones these days provide a convenient means to exempt yourself from worldly obligations. You don't have to respond to or pay absolutely any heed to a person sitting in the same room as you, probably even facing you. The headphones covering your ears serve as a clear sign for the other person to take; "I am going to ignore you now, and I expect the same of you". Well, it doesn't seem like such a bad idea considering the volumes of distractions we are sentenced to for living in this chaotic present. It's a good way to escape into your own world, with some meaningful music or maybe just a random permutation of tones loud enough to drown you.
But it isn't just about the music anymore; it is more about what the headphones signify. They are symbols of individual privacy and noise cancellation in an interestingly literal as well as figurative manifestation. The better the noise cancelling ability, the better the headphone.
Have we bothered to think what this pair of plugs have brought onto us?
They have brought down impromptu conversations to a disturbingly low frequency and length. It is rare to see a bunch of roommates being disturbed by each other anymore. Just throw your headphones on, and everyone will probably follow suit. Even if they don't, you at least won't have to hear anymore.
While the technological pros are many, they fail to compensate for what they're making us give up. In the beginning of my graduate study, we weren't allowed to keep laptops. In a few months, when the rule's tenure ended, each person was more excited than the other. There was a whole wave of students sitting back in their chairs or beds, bent in behind their laptop screens, most probably with their ears covered by sound which ironically sound-proofed them of their surroundings. Now, when we look back at the early days of college, it seems like a distant time where people sat together for long hours, having nothing to do but talk.
Talking is underestimated now. As more and more people fall for the shiny new privacy, they tend to avoid conversations; not compulsively, but subtly yet significantly.
Not only is it detrimental for your ears, it is also bad for your relations with your surroundings, including people. Escapism is fascinating, and even a need at times, but not realizing when you've been calling for it way too much, is dangerous.
Let's all toast for the good old speakers, offering for one and all, rather than just one.
