The World Beyond your Headphones
Photo credit: San Diego Shooter
I walk down the street and notice an eerily similar feature of everyone I pass.
They don’t meet my gaze.
They don’t say hello.
But it’s more than that.
It’s the headphones.
So many people wear headphones as they go about their lives.
You can spot them from a block away. The white cords so nonchalantly swinging from their ears and across their chest.
Their gaze is distant and the world moves soundlessly around them.
They’ve insulated themselves and are safe from any interaction with the world. They’re in their own space with their own music.
It’s not even a shared sense of rhythm. Everyone is dancing to a different drummer. Literally.
Is the world passing you by while you listen to the latest Beyoncé?
How often have you shut yourself off from the world by putting on your headphones?
It’s not an intentional avoidance of human contact, but one born out of habit.
The cool kids had them and we all wanted them. But now we all have the latest headphones and rather than being cool it’s become isolating.
We love our music. But have we become so wrapped up in it we’re missing out on everything else going on around us?
We’re missing the greetings of people we pass on the street. The sounds of the birds overhead. The wind in the trees. Laughter of the children playing nearby.
We crave connection yet completely prevent it.
Yes, it does come in handy at times. When you just can’t face another minute of small talk on the bus or plane, headphones are a lifesaver. We’ve all been there.
What if you let go of your routine, opened up to the world a bit and left them at home?
I know. Frightening. They’re like our little security blanket. Always with us.
Imagine who you might meet. The wonderful things you’ll hear. And how present you’ll be in your life.
It’s hard to be aware and fully present when we’ve unintentionally created barriers.
If you truly want to live a passionate life and be fully connected, you’ve got to open yourself up to experiencing the world around you.
And it’s really as simple as taking off your headphones.
Seriously.
Go ahead and do it.
I think you’ll like what you find.
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December 1st, 2011 at 6:32 am
I’ve definitely noticed this. Between zoning out with music and being absorbed in texting/games/etc on the phone, and actually talking on the phone, people are in this world without actually being part of it. Something I’ve begun to notice lately is that even when they are at a coffee shop or some other place where interacting with another human is necessary, only one of the two headphones comes out.
A specific pet peeve of mine is the gym. A room full of people isolated in our private sound bubbles, not seeing the other people in the room. It’s very weird.
December 1st, 2011 at 1:15 pm
You’re so right. I’ve noticed the one ear bud coming out too. It’s almost as if they’re willing to briefly connect, but want to be able to run back to their safe space if it’s too much.
December 1st, 2011 at 10:52 am
When I sit next to someone on the bus or the train who I can hear – tink-boom-tinkety-tink – is listening to music Iif I like the look of them I fantasise about nudging them to ask if I can have one earpiece so I can hear what they’re listening to. I know we would end up having a conversation but as yet I haven’t dared to intrude on their musical bubble.
Maybe an ‘Intrude on an Ipod’ day both sides of the pond?
December 1st, 2011 at 11:42 am
Yes! Let’s have an ‘intrude on an iPod’ day! It would make for fascinating conversation.
December 23rd, 2011 at 6:18 am
FANTASTIC post!
I live in northeastern Brazil, and whenever I travel back to NYC it always strikes me how many people are plugged in and zoned out.
Where I live, by contrast, very few people wear headphones in public. (For one thing, it’s not so safe – being oblivious to the world around you makes you a much easier target for your purse/bag/iPod being stolen.) Instead, you see strangers actually interacting and making comments to each other on the street.
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December 23rd, 2011 at 11:47 pm
Thanks, Shayna!
I love the idea of strangers interacting with each other! It’s one of the many reasons I’m heading to South America.