Ubiquity of headphones/earbuds

[Avoidingfacebookforabit]

Where I live nearly everyone has their ears plugged.....it makes me feel nervous . AIBU to think it's best to have all senses alive when walking busy streets? or am I being too panicky? Xxx

Much better than letting the phone blare out on the streets or on public transport.

I agree with the risk factor and I always pause mine when walking across roads, but music doesn’t stop pondering and imagination, infact it fuels it

I am listening to music, it doesn't mean I am death to everything else. You can use headphones and not listening to music so loud it erases every other sound.

I might need to switch them off to hear properly, but I can still hear sirens when I wear them! I am not oblivious, unlike people looking at their phone and not paying any attention to their surroundings.

I have my headphones on almost constantly and I’ve somehow managed to evade danger. Do we all have to worry about everything all the time?

I’m not anxious for other people just myself, but if I were entirely deaf then I think I would avoid walking around in situations where I needed high awareness yes or keep looking behind me

Do you avoid driving too, because statically thats more dangerous

Yeah, it does seem odd that so many people are uncomfortable of being in silence - they've always got to be listening to something, rather than having a bit of time away from from music, podcasts, whatever.

But what’s inherently ‘better’ somehow about silence? I have my music on LOUD when I’m working or thinking or getting ideas for my business. My brain does better that way.

It’s almost as if silence is somehow the superior choice, according to some posts on this thread. Wonder what that’s about 🤷‍♀️

Why is it odd to have a preference?

I like listening to music, so I use earbuds when I'm out and about. So what? Just because other people prefer not to doesn't make them better or worse than me.

Time away from music? There's always something playing in my head!

How do you know they are actually listening to something rather than just using the headphones to reduce external noise?

Even if they are listening to something, what’s the issue? Nobody is forcing you to listen - have all the silence you want!

Bone conducting headphones

I can hear everything around me, and stop the sound through the headphones with on press of a button. Brilliant.

Odd to you. You probably do things others find odd.

New MN note to self: listening to music = odd.

I’m a musician. Silence is odd to me.

bone conducting headphones

Didn’t know it was a thing either, learn something new everyday

Wish more people would use them rather than having phones on loudspeaker. Though love to hear the intimate details of conversation conducted on loudspeaker.

Yes, I frequently see people moseying out across the road without the slightest interest in what might be coming. Good thing I am looking, slowing and covering the brake but everyone should take responsibility for their own safety. What will they put on the headstone "well they had right of way"?

Bone conductors are great ..not cheap but a good solution to this issue.

Well I am deaf, and I just live my life normally like everyone else. I'm not constantly checking behind me every other second.

Given that most deaths on our roads (5 a day in the uk), are due to driver error and not as a result of people wearing headphones, I'd put the onus on the drivers

Similar to PP, I was grabbed from behind when wearing earphones as I'd not heard them approach. Never worn them out walking again, and tell my DD not to either.

I also suspect it does dreadful things to your hearing over time.

They are brilliant. I can even hear the music (albeit not perfectly) in my deaf ear!

I never walk around in public with my airpods in. I would feel unsafe. I like to be able to hear what's going on around me. I would feel vulnerable if I couldn't hear.

One bud for me when I'm listening to a book .
2 buds when I'm not listening to anything but don't want to engage with another human .
People tend to ignore you when you have 2 in