AirPods were released in 2016 to much success by Apple. Users love how accessible and practical they are, and most users would agree they have great sound. As innovative as AirPods are, they are a key cause in lack of human socialization.
What are AirPods?
AirPods are wireless Bluetooth headphones developed by Apple. They are miniature in size, and something like hair or a hat can easily cover them up. AirPods are used to listen to music, pick up phone calls, respond to messages, etc. Some recent models even have the capacity to change noise frequency to fit someone’s ear shape.
People are drawn to the device for many reasons. For starters, they were created in a tech-friendly world where the latest innovations can strike anyone’s eyes. AirPods are also incredibly accessible; they are completely wireless and all anyone needs to do is turn them on. It makes listening to music a lot smoother and easier.
AirPods’ social influence
It’s been reported that AirPods’ revenue is more than that of companies like Spotify or Twitter. Since 2022, it’s estimated over 150 million AirPods have been sold. The number seems to be getting higher each year with 35 million being sold in 2019 and 50 million being sold in 2020.
While Apple is taking great use of its new generation of consumers, teachers feel differently. While AirPods can be used in a social setting it is ruining the way people talk to one another. As teachers are giving out lectures, you can guarantee that there are students jamming out in the back to music.
AirPods completely ruin the social norm of going to school. In fact, there almost seems to be a sense of entitlement when wearing them. The fact that anyone can just tune out any conversation they don’t feel like hearing is selfish. Life is not scripted, it’s meant to be spontaneous. By wearing AirPods, it gives the false expectation you can block anything out.
Why should anyone have to listen to you when you’re expressing something when you just had a jack up your ear twenty-something minutes ago?
AirPods also create issues in workplace settings because staff aren’t communicating effectively to get the job done. They create a significant disconnect between management and employers. AMC Theatres associate, Matt Ryan said “AirPods ruin the workplace because they’re very distracting. People aren’t paying attention to direct orders and it’s rude.”
He also goes on to mention, “AirPods may contribute to incomplete tasks or laziness that could be avoided.”
AirPods’ effect on school
For a setting that’s meant for socialization and the exchanging of ideas, it’s mind-boggling the number of students who wear AirPods.
It places an unfair challenge for teachers who want to make sure their information is getting to their students. How can students possibly get something out of the material they’re learning and applying if they have those headphones in their ears?
It can possibly ruin the way students process information, and how seriously they’re willing to take their responsibilities. It points to a strong sense of carelessness that is severely overlooked by educators. Even college students are abusing their AirPod usage.
Daina Eglitis, an associate professor of sociology and international affairs at George Washington University said, “They’re not ignoring me, they just don’t hear me with the AirPods…It creates a little bit of an awkward situation when I’m speaking to them and they don’t even look at me.”
Listening to music on AirPods also raises the question of how focused students truly are. If students aren’t directly focused on the material given to them, how are they applying any knowledge? We learn by experience and if those experiences aren’t there, what are we gaining?
AirPods’ future impact
AirPods can also be contributed to socially awkward situations. There are plenty of moments when people try to communicate, and there’s an air of awkward silence from the AirPod user. Their usage can cause embarrassing moments like that and can make people feel excluded.
Mac Observer stated, “This AirPod effect is accentuated by the ongoing social custom that an incoming call on an iPhone is always more important than the person the user is conversing with in person and must be attended to. The human in front of the iPhone user is, so to speak, rudely hung up on.”
As a result, fewer and fewer memories are being made. Students in classes or members of a workplace aren’t getting out of life’s experiences when listening to AirPods. When people are consistently blocking out important events they can learn from, it makes people more ignorant.
There’s an inherent sense of danger to that, as people can lose their sense of autonomy. People may also use AirPods for clout. Clout can be defined as a sense of power or influence an individual has. Because AirPods are the latest thing, people may feel more inclined to buy them for influence and to keep up with trends.
Western Courier stated, “The lengths that some people will go to in order to gain clout is embarrassing. Apple is using the fact that our generation is so focused on having the next best thing before anyone else does as a way to entice the public to buy their product.”
