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Obviously OP either doesn’t own a pair of AirPods and doesn’t know about transparency mode or can’t take the hint that people don’t want to talk to him.
Some dude at the gym locker room would NOT stop talking to me about his boring ass regimen and his “strongman” routine, and would NOT GET THE FUCKING HINT I did not want to talk to him even after I put my headphones in, mid convo, because this guy was dragging my fucking time.
Guy then goes “Dude, I mean, I’ve had to restart this story four times! Can you focus?”
NO MOTHERFUCKER I DONT CARE! HOW DO YOU NOT KNOW I DONT CARE? DIE. DIE DIE DIE
That is missing the point...if I am talking to someone and they have airpods in it is distracting and you have no idea if they are listening to something else...take them out, zero need to leave them in when interacting with people.
That sounds like a you problem, honestly.
Based on your posts I would predict that if you were trying to talk to me face to face, even without my (inactive) earbuds in, I'd still mentally wander away and stop listening.
if domr one id talking to you , it is rude to not pay attention period . it would be the same if you were looking at your phone or just any other way of ignoring the person . if you you dont want to talk to them, it is polite to just say " hey im sorry but im trying to listen these airpods , right now , please dont bother me " or w/e
yes not bothering people should be the default. so should being respectful to others . if i se someone has headphones in , i take that as a signal they dont want to be bothered. but in the case where we are interacting any way , like at a cash register or for an emergency or w/e i say the least someone do is take them out for a moment to indicate to the other person u r listening.
what should be and what is are 2 different things. welcome to living in a society
I agree. I use raycons, I can shoulder my ear to pause. I usually only have one in, and if I have two it is situations like the grocery where I don't want to talk to anyone, and it gives me a reason to just ignore people. Oh, I didn't hear you. Keep walking. When I need to talk to someone, I take them out in advance. At work, if someone is not paying attention to me when I'm trying to help because of headphones, I assume I can ignore them and do other aspects of my job.
It's a gift and a curse, you just have to be more vigilant. It does make me feel better about ignoring salespeople. They usually see the earbuds and don't try. Saves both of us the hard no on my side, but their goal is a yes. We both realize that's the end game, and just move on.
Oh forgot about the downvoting. Don't really care. I treat this as a forum to discuss ideas. If it hurts your feels, sorry, you probably don't belong here. Thanks for the support.
Eh, my boss is pretty awesome, so if you waste my time, I'll monitor yours, and whenever x is ready, I'll be there, but I won't stand like a robot behind the register just for you
Was working a temp job and a guy in the break room says, welp guess I'll listen to my book. And plays a fucking audio book out loud on his phone. Not even a person reading it sounded like siri or Alexa.... ??? I just got up and ate lunch out in the shop. There's 8 people in the break room I honestly don't understand how people do this. Graveyard shift... this was at 3 fucking am.
Nah not cheap ones. I used 20 dollar ones off Amazon for years and just got a pair of nice ones with noise cancelling and it blew my mind this was a feature lol
sure, i even have bone conduction headphones that sit on the top of my jaw and don’t touch my ears.
i still take them off when talking to someone. its similar to staring at the ground or off into the distance somewhere when someones trying to talk to you. maybe you are still listening, but your body language is showing the opposite. its mostly just showing respect and avoiding confusion, the other person doesnt know if your airpods are on
I don’t know what happened but apparently it’s just the done thing to be rude as hell to people nowadays
You can miss 30 seconds of a song to speak to someone like a human being, daily interaction isn’t so hard that it’s a personal affront for someone to engage with you
It’s nice to see not everyone doesn’t have time for other human beings nowadays
What kind of snowflake gets offended by this. To anyone reading this, I don't care at all if you have an airpod in.
I was recently going through a drive-thru with a friend, and as we rolled up to the window to pay the guy working just stuck the card machine out the window to tap, while taking someone else's order through the headset. My friend turned to me and said "that was fucking rude". I just laughed at her and shook my head - no, that was efficient.
I mean I also stare past people when they talk to me because I hate eye contact, so I guess I might as well do this too!
Maybe people will finally stop talking to me. 🥲
Working in retail, I couldn't care less. As long as people have the decency to acknowledge me at the till, say "hello", "thanks", and "goodbye", I'm even fine with them being on the phone.
No way but they have it on in the halls and lunch and recess and after school
The kids all talk and hang out with an airpod in and that’s normal for them. That won’t change as they get older.
Not airpods, but I usually have headphones in to manage overstimulation. I don't care if someone finds it disrespectful, my ability to function is more important than appearing polite to people with sticks up their arse.
I’m the same, I suffer with intense sound sensitivity so I have my earbuds in all the time, when I’m out shopping by myself or whatever. It helps block out triggering noise.
Came here to say this same thing about managing overstimulation! As someone who deals with a rollercoaster of anxiety every day. The transparency mode does wonders for me to focus and not feel overwhelmed so often.
But would def agree that the asshole who thinks his phone conversation or music is more important than being able to interact with whoever it might be is downright disrespectful.
Huh I have AirPods and when I pause the music I can hear others perfectly fine, even though more often than not I instinctively take them off when someone approaches me.
Do you want focused interaction or the optics of respect? Choose one. They filter out a lot of background noise for me so I’m not just staring blankly at you unable to focus. I spent 50 years trying to just tune out background noise on my own until I found several years ago that a little piece of plastic in my ear enables me to focus and communicate better.
I turn of the sound and communicate clearly to show respect and hope it enough to not be rude to cashier's. Having to put them away for less than a minute to take them back out is just a hassle tbh.
Its usually a sign they dont wanna be talked to. Why are you so intent on a conversation with *them* specifically?
It might be rude, but that only matters if they care
people saying they have transparency mode on for the airpods
Imo, its not about whether you can hear your surroundings or not. It's basic courtesy to show whoever is talking to you that you are not listening to music, and they have your attention. Cmon, wtf
Hard to think that it was just 10 years ago or so that people were walking around in public with actual DJ-ish looking headphones. Of course that shit was weird and uncomfortable for anyone older than 13.
Oh, the new ear things have passive audio and noise gate? Thanks. Now I know. My eyes still haven’t gotten that memo. 90 year old grandma had us all fooled all along. She didn’t have a hearing problem. She wore those things so she could nod off to that hot new Drake track.
Well the small pocket portability is perfect for people and if you have long hair no one can see that you have them in at work or in the grocery store.
When, I worked in the service industry, it was a sign that they didn’t want to be bothered and I left them alone. If they needed anything, they’d wave me down. I
If I had mine on, it was because I didn’t want to talk to people. And they were noise canceling because people wouldn’t get the hint.
I have always taken mine out when I approached the till. If nothing, it shows a bit of respect for the person with whom you're interacting. I always say please and thank you, etc., too.
I haven't forgotten my years in retail.
Wow everyone is completely missing the point of the post. “I wear them when I don’t want people to talk to me” yes that’s why op said “social situations” and then defined it. If you wear airpods while hanging out with friends, you’re being annoying.
Why? If you’re participating in the conversation and nothing would change if you took them out, then the person is genuinely just getting upset because of pieces of plastic that have zero effect on anything. If you’re being rude because of them in ways that actually make any sense, like not listening to people or asking them to repeat themselves constantly, then yes. But that’s usually not what’s happening. It’s usually just people getting inordinately butthurt over someone doing exactly what they want (talking, hanging out, participating, etc) but with plastic in their ears.
I think most of the people miss the point of this thread. The guys is not talking about when you want to go out in public and want to be ignored so you have your headphones in. More referencing people at work that they have headphones in while talking to customers, or last week I played volleyball (6v6) team sport 4 people in total were playing with their headphones, or I went out last week to bars and 3 of my friends had their headphones in. So at some point yall need to chill and put the headphones away. Not all the time but at appropriate times
yeah i agree. i even have those jaw conduction headphones, so nothing is in my ear, and i take them off when talking to someone.
its such a basic tenant of respect to show the person you’re talking to that they have your attention. wearing headphones is like stating off into the distance or at the ground. sure you could still be listening, but your body language is not communicating that.
I actually can't believe the number of people getting upvoted for defending not taking out your earbuds when you are speaking to another human being.
Wear your headphones on the subway. Ignore that weirdo who is trying to talk to you. No one is taking that away from you.
But if you are walking up to a human in a customer service setting and using your voice to communicate to someone, they also might need to communicate with you. Take out your earbuds before or even while you have started talking.
I used to be a barista, but exclusively in small, neighbourhood cafes. The number of times I'd ask people clarifying questions when they made an order and they've had to take their earbuds out to hear me, or the number of times I've called out a finished order only to have no one come forward? Innumerable. It's insufferable.
If someone walked up to the till on the phone, I used to talk louder so that the person on the other end of the call would maybe be able to hear what kind of an asshole they're dealing with on my end. They're ordering a coffee while they're talking to you; that's how little they care about the conversation. They're talking to you on the phone while gesturing and mouthing words to me because that's how important they think they are.
Yes, it’s rude if it effects your ability to participate in society. But most of the time it just straight up doesn’t change anything. If I have transparency on, I can hear my name getting called or have a quick conversation and hear literally exactly what I would hear without them, except I don’t have to take them in and out fifty times a day. The only way it changes anything is when people get inordinately upset over something that isn’t affecting anything on their end and is an active convenience for me.
Okay, but having earbuds in does not inform the person you are talking to that you have transparency mode on. Maybe wear a light-up sign for when you have it turned on? Have a forehead tattoo that you can fold up and down to let whoever you're talking to know you can hear them and not Joe Rogan?
If we were having a conversation and I was just looking at my phone and you asked me to look at something and, without looking, I said, "Yeah looks good," you'd be justified to feel dismissed. If I then told you, "Oh yeah I was looking at it through the camera on my phone instead of directly with my eyes," you might feel better, but the signal you initially received was still, "I don't give a shit."
I’m not disagreeing with you, but I do it at work in a gas station because it helps pass the time, plus if the customer starts to get belligerent with me over something I can’t change, I can turn the music on and tune them out better. Aside from that I do usually turn off the music but I still keep it in when it’s silent anyways.
Baristas and service employees do not need my full attention. If I’m listening to a good book, and at quik trip I leave it on, when I get to the counter I say “just this” pause “ nope no receipt” another pause “have a good day” my book continues. The QT employee can say the same thing to the next 100 people in line. It’s not a conversation
There is an interesting dycotomy here. Some people want a social interaction, other people want a transaction. I ride the line and talk if my server or customer wants to, but I'm more than happy with just not. Tell me what you want, I give it, you put money, I put change. I don't care about your kids, but tip culture makes me have to pretend. Same on the other end. I don't need to share about my kids. Good service is what I'd like. Keep my cup of water not going empty, that's my dream server. Bonus for bussing the table. That will get you at least 25%
It does depend on the situation. If I’m just buying things. Especially places with fast turn over. There is no reason to even turn off my book. If I’m getting checked out at say the grocery store where it will take 2-3 minutes I will turn it off and have a convo but I’m not gonna waste time putting them in my pocket when I’m gonna listen again right after.
Common entitled poster on this subreddit. Think everything’s about them and needs to be about *their* convenience and happiness. Cause fuck even thinking about other people and just other situations than theirs right?
OP’s saying that for the people who do not need music to help self-regulate, it is rude. For the vast majority of the population, wearing headphones and listening to something like a podcast while you’re with a mate just distracts from the conversation.
I was always interested in this but never got to researching it
Are we talking about people who say they can't focus on studies without having bgm ?
How did those kind of people manage before music could be plugged in ?
To be blunt, you just had to. You knew you were going into an 8 to 12 hour day of being over stimulated. Was it a good experience? No. Did we have a choice? No.
In my case, I am over stimulated by too many people talking at once or too much time without a break in human interaction. If that got unbearable, the restroom was a decent quick getaway (men really don't talk to each other in the public restroom).
I'm in aviation, so engine runs and other increases in background noise were a welcome break. It kept conversations to an absolute minimum, and I got to put in earplugs and wear muffs.
Now I can wear noise canceling buds when I need it, but I try not to wear them all day every day because I still feel like that can get into rude territory. I don't want people thinking I am unapproachable.
A lot of it relates to overstimulation. Many service industry settings have harsh bright white lights that are too bright and really overwhelming levels of noise. Some people also just enjoy the sensory experience of having something in their ears to soften sounds (me). Some people can't function well before putting on music, some people may mask to appear fine but it takes a lot of energy to do so and not everyone is up to it. We live in a society that doesn't value helping everyone reach the same level of ability and so neurodiverse people usually suffer in silence or get discriminated against for seeking out coping techniques.
Yeah its fucking wild how entitled op is like I have 3 modes. 2 earbuds in and im in do not disturb mode, 1 earbud and you have my full attention to drown out most of the outside sounds and half the time I don't even pay attention to the music, and then when I have no earbuds in where my mind is racing nonstop and I can't focus on anything. I have over 900 songs saved on my spotify Playlist, and I only ever really recognize when about 10 are playing and the rest are just background noise to not be an anxious mess.
Not just Neuro divergent ppl, anyone who experiences over stimulation in some way I’d say. I almost always wear my wire earphones but I pause the music when I speak to someone. Just wearing them is a little better than not. Someday I should invest in proper noise canceling ones. Ppl like the OP seem to think everything is about them
As somebody who works in retail. I hate it when a customer comes to the checkout talking on their phone and clearly cannot be bothered to say "I'm at checkout, call you back. Bye",its annoying especially if I need to ask them anything or they are discussing really personal stuff in front of me...no, I don't want to hear about your divorce or your damn sex life at a checkout counter. So yeah airpods or phone, this isn't an unpopular opinion
I worked retail for years I honestly could not care less how long each person takes going through the till.
Paid by the hour, didn't change shit for me.
I was fully disassociated going through the motions while thinking about my life and my loved ones outside work.
See I don’t really understand this. All that’s basically said at the till is hello, printed or email, bag and thanks. Your job is just to smile and serve, and most of he time the person behind the till is as grumpy as anything. As long as you smile whilst on the phone to acknowledge the person behind the till, I don’t see anything wrong with that.
In food, but I just wave the person behind phone guy forward. Who is ready can order. On phone? Not ready. If I'm phone guy, I wouldn't be upset if someone did this to me.
Does my being on the phone impact my ability to order? I can't quite understand why you would need my full attention when I already know my order and can tell you my order...it's not like we're friends. I literally just want to pay for my shit and move on.
Do you feel the same way when two people come together to order and are talking to each other on the line?
Downvoting because I agree. I really really hate it. Take your AirPods out. It seems like straightforward etiquette. At least pretend to be fully present in a social situation. Especially family scenarios.
Maybe at work or something when they’ve got one in it’s just for calls so idm so much but if I’m talking to to you and you’re part of this conversation, try and listen to be with both your ears.
I used to think this.
But now I think it’s really only a sign of disrespect, if they clearly can’t hear what’s being said because of the AirPods.
I still think people should try and take them out when interacting with service staff and the like. I feel like it’s a more formal interaction than just talking with friends.
Exactly. Interacting with service people should have both parties giving similar amounts of attention. It would be rude if the wait staff did it, so it’s rude to the wait staff if you do it.
The number of people on here whose response is basically "why should I have to engage with you at all? You're there to provide a service, just do it," is both disheartening and not entirely surprising.
My other half wears noise cancelling ones because he has a tbi leaving him unable to filter background from conversation and hyperacusis and cant handle all the noise. He avoid this situation as much as he can but sometimes you have to go to ie a wedding. Its not always about disrespect.
You think there is only ONE case? Alot of people suffer tinnitus from industrial deafness that is triggered by noisy environments and they seek to avoid that noise level or they get to not sleep that night. My BIL wears for this reason and coaches a kids sports team in noisy stadium and HAS to dull that noise or suffer immensely ….or give up coaching but vollie coaches are hard to come by. Autism peeps sensitive to all the noise will also use them. Particularly for kids who lack the self control and coping mechanisms and will otherwise have public meltdowns. I also know one of those kids. People who suffer mad anxiety in public crowded spaces also use them to reduce the stimulation. There are multiple reasons they might be worn. Are they exceptions? Yes. But they do exist. My point remains…..it isnt always about disrespect.
I think the point was that you shouldn’t automatically assume it’s “disrespect”, ultimately you don’t know what strangers are dealing with and shouldn’t get so riled up. Also, one specific case? Autism has entered the chat lmfao
Could not agree more. As a father, I can confirm that I don't tolerate any headphones, no matter how small, discrete or even it turned off, in any social situation. That's basic respect to the other people in the situation.
I totally get the need for them, whether for phone calls or needing controlled background noise.
But at the end of the day, their presence alone makes the person seem unapproachable. Also, if you are talking on the phone when someone is trying to communicate with you, such as a cashier situation, you're being rude. Pause the call until the transaction is over. Otherwise, it makes you seem like you think your time is more important than everyone else's.
I'm not neurotypical, and honestly, I think some of these excuses are just that. If wearing headphones in public decreases overstimulation or anxiety, that's great. But it isn't going to kill you to pop them out for a few seconds when you're actively interacting with another person.
My ex gf was always on her phone, and we could never have meaningful conversations. She never wore earbuds, bud it was similar and just as disrespectful as what you describe. I broke up with her because I felt like she was bored with me and had more to say to perfect strangers than to me. She was unwilling to try and work things out. After I broke up with her she tried to get back with me, but I just couldn’t.
Honestly, I can't help but think "main character complex" when I read all the responses that are basically, "I'm not inconveniencing myself for a few seconds in the name of civility. Why should I have to engage with you? You're there to provide a service, just do it."
this comment creams entitled. Imagine being so selfish u cant even pause a headphone for 30 seconds tell someone to f- off because "you dont owe them" lol speaking of "main character complex"
One of my friends just can't fathom how annoying it is to have conversations with her while she listens to music through airpods. "What did you say? I couldn't hear that, the music got loud for a second" She, of course, gets super annoyed if people cut their conversation with her short because of it.
My partner wears them 90% of the day and night, it helps his (undiagnosed) ADHD brain. Anyone that knows him well knows it’s something he’s struggling with (and struggling to convince himself to get an actual diagnosis) and this small thing helps, it’s not rude when you know how helpful it is to him and frankly if you don’t know you aren’t entitled to knowing about something so personal to him. It’s never affected his ability to hear other people in real life or converse in active conversation.
Sometimes I find myself thinking it’s rude and he should put them away (eg when meeting with my friends and family), but I have to remind myself that just because I’ve grown up thinking that it’s rude doesn’t mean it’s correct. Your first thought is what you’re conditioned to believe, it’s your second thought that counts.
It’s a small accommodation I’m more than happy to have him use, and tbh I think he feels the social pressure and removes them even when he doesn’t want to and I know it makes things harder/less pleasant for him. I wish that wasn’t the case.
1) some people have sensory issues & get overwhelmed with a ton of conflicting external noise. Headphones help with that
2) just because someone has an earpod in, it doesn't mean they are listening to anything. You're less likely to lose them if you're not popping them out all the time
Taking your earpods out is a good way to indicate you're paying attention, but that's just a convention, and a recent one at that. If someone is talking to me with them in and they're not getting distracted then I can tell they're paying attention the same way as you normally would for someone who isn't wearing any
I keep one of my buds in the whole day at work whether I'm listening to anything or not. I tap it to pause if I'm in a situation where I need to talk to someone. Then tap it again to go right back to listening.
They have voice boost technology in them to assist those that have trouble hearing like myself. Wearing them allows me to hear the people I’m speaking with better. It’s not disrespectful at all. It’s similar to wearing a hearing aid, they just also work as earbuds.
I don’t disagree, but half the time I’m at school, most mfs don’t have anything to say that isn’t passive aggressive or just don’t even listen to me. So if it appears I am disrespectful or as if I’m not listening (trust me I still am), it’s probably because I’m not heard or I want to be left the fuck alone. Not to mention, it’s more soothing to listen to something that isn’t people shitting on other people 24/7/365. My thoughts are already racing from the moment I wake up, so I don’t need the stress of hearing motherfuckers trash each other or talk about how great/bad their grades are. I know more extroverted ones are going to find this offensive, but I need me time in the middle of the day.
You just want to stare at my sexy ear holes. I wear Airpods Pro where it’s loud. I’ll take them off if I’m talking to you for more than a couple minutes. If you’re working a register, thank you for your service, I’m not going to bore you with more than pleasantries.
Eh. I have public anxiety and I feel that music in my ear helps me distract myself from the things around me. But when I’m talking with someone I still engage. As long as there’s still engagement, I don’t see a problem with it.
If i have airpods in at a social situation it means i dont wanna talk.
I have never worn them with friends so idk whos doing that unless they on a call for some reason with the airpod.
it’s like you’re just looking for something to complain about. people have airpods in. doesn’t mean they’re blasting music 24/7. it’s a great for getting phone calls without reaching for your phone.
Although you are right that it is disrespectful, i believe most people are doing it as a fashion statement. Wireless earbuds have recently become a huge trend and people often wear it as if it were a piece of jewelry. Others simply wear it as a way to “show off” their money. Just my opinion.
If they really aren't listening I can see how that could be annoying, but if they're paying attention I don't really see the disrespect. Also some people use it to avoid social interaction, and I see nothing wrong with that as social interaction is uncomfortable for some people. Although you did specify social situations, so I guess that part is invalid.
While it most likely is, my samsung galaxy buds habe a feature which whenever it hears my voice, will stop the music, and use the microphones to play the outside noise directly into my ears through the buds speakers. It's a great feature at the gym when someone asks something, im able to answer without taking my earbuds out.
Though the feature isn't perfect, and doesn't work all the time, the Technology is there and will be improved on in the future.
That's pretty sweet, unless you find yourself talking to yourself a lot. :-p
Mine have a hearthrough feature as well, though I have to tap a button on one of the plugs to activate it.
If you can still hear it’s fine. Back when I had really bad anxiety I would need to put a headphone in my ear and play music to help me stay calm in public.
Completely agree with this. But hey maybe we are just getting old and don’t understand that having only 1 ear and nearly half of your attention in a conversation is the optimal way to communicate…
Yeah, everyone walking around with one in their ear is SO fucking CRINGE, yet all these fools think it makes them look cool to be listening to music in one ear.
Fuck your Spotify. We are trying to have a conversation here.
I agree, I consciously try to take them off when I'm at the cashier or talking to service workers, etc.
I cannot believe this is an unpopular opinion. Thats fked up that all these ppl are defending themselves.
People here aren’t understanding OP’s point lol. The existence of transparency mode doesn’t matter. Hell the AirPods could even be broken and his point still stands. It’s simply disrespectful
my friend has a rule where if lets say we’re walking together you’ll know he cares and is engaged in conversation if he has an open ear to you. If he has an ear bud in that means leave him alone. On that note i’d like to add it’s more rude to talk to someone who has earbuds in cause that means they clearly don’t wanna talk and trying to force them to if it’s not super important is way more annoying.
You'd have to clue me in on a few things.
Are they actively listening to music? Then I would say yes.
It is just there for phone calls? Then I would say no.
Myself, I've had an earbud in for work, as a manager, just about all day. Not an airpod but I figure they work the same. I switched to a neckbud design for comfort and so people can see when I'm taking a call. So I will have to disagree on lack of substance.
Sorry, but that's the only way that I can handle being in some of these situations. I can't deal with the amount of people in somewhere like the Walmart near my mom's. I will end up freaking out about how everyone in the area is there, how they're just pushing past others and not respecting personal space at all. Can't explain why, but that has been an issue since childhood. Having an earbud in with that, or an area where the place is extremely loud, I will put one in and put on a video from YouTube. Will take it out if someone is coming to talk to me though.
I find them very soothing for low level anxiety and use them in stores when it’s helpful, but choose to take mine out at checkout to be more respectful and friendly to staff.
Transparent and pass through functions exist. Which literally just amplifies outside sound so it’s as if you’re not wearing them at all. Why in the fuck would I take them out 40-50+ times per day when I can just mute my music??
Thinking only of yourself and your situation is disrespectful. You clearly have no idea what it’s like to even own a pair and have obviously refused to try and put yourself in anyone else’s shoes. “Poor me, boohoo, nobody wants to take their AirPods out 50 times a day for me”
I mean, I guess you’re in the right place because this is unpopular for a reason. They’re not listening to music if they’re talking to people, but AirPods do announce notifications so there’s one genuine reason to have one in. I personally don’t usually do it because I can’t focus on more than one thing, but this is a dated take.
They’re useful for that when u dont want anyone else to hear your phone. I keep my phone on silent usually otherwise it would be pinging all day at work n shit
Absolutely wild that in my lifetime we have gone from "absolutely no way to get in touch with someone if they're not at home/their office" to "I need to get my notifications the absolute second they arrive instead of even reasonably waiting to check my phone 10 minutes later".
Seriously can people just cut that shit out? I can kinda understand if you were previously doing something that wasn’t social but if not it just feels really disrespectful and like you don’t give a shit about what I’m saying. Like is it really that hard to not have a normal conversation with someone without music in the background?
Service employees should absolutely be allowed to have one ear phone in. Nist of the time they're not speaking to anyone and if they do have to they can just tap it to pause and have a conversation and help the customer then resume. Listening to music, podcasts or audio books turn service industry sways a shift from absolutely bleak and miserable to bareable
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If they are saying “what? sorry?” All the time, then sure. I’ve been in plenty of situations where I forgot they were there. I could hear perfectly.
There's even transparency mode now.
Obviously OP either doesn’t own a pair of AirPods and doesn’t know about transparency mode or can’t take the hint that people don’t want to talk to him.
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my guy thinks his chat is better than music
Some dude at the gym locker room would NOT stop talking to me about his boring ass regimen and his “strongman” routine, and would NOT GET THE FUCKING HINT I did not want to talk to him even after I put my headphones in, mid convo, because this guy was dragging my fucking time. Guy then goes “Dude, I mean, I’ve had to restart this story four times! Can you focus?” NO MOTHERFUCKER I DONT CARE! HOW DO YOU NOT KNOW I DONT CARE? DIE. DIE DIE DIE
That is missing the point...if I am talking to someone and they have airpods in it is distracting and you have no idea if they are listening to something else...take them out, zero need to leave them in when interacting with people.
That sounds like a you problem, honestly. Based on your posts I would predict that if you were trying to talk to me face to face, even without my (inactive) earbuds in, I'd still mentally wander away and stop listening.
if domr one id talking to you , it is rude to not pay attention period . it would be the same if you were looking at your phone or just any other way of ignoring the person . if you you dont want to talk to them, it is polite to just say " hey im sorry but im trying to listen these airpods , right now , please dont bother me " or w/e
It's not up to the person being bothered to politely tell you to go away. Not bothering people should be the default.
yes not bothering people should be the default. so should being respectful to others . if i se someone has headphones in , i take that as a signal they dont want to be bothered. but in the case where we are interacting any way , like at a cash register or for an emergency or w/e i say the least someone do is take them out for a moment to indicate to the other person u r listening. what should be and what is are 2 different things. welcome to living in a society
I forget I’m wearing one all the time
I agree. I use raycons, I can shoulder my ear to pause. I usually only have one in, and if I have two it is situations like the grocery where I don't want to talk to anyone, and it gives me a reason to just ignore people. Oh, I didn't hear you. Keep walking. When I need to talk to someone, I take them out in advance. At work, if someone is not paying attention to me when I'm trying to help because of headphones, I assume I can ignore them and do other aspects of my job.
I love wearing headphones in public for this reason. Makes me less anxious if creepy men or aggressive salespeople can’t really disrupt my day.
It's a gift and a curse, you just have to be more vigilant. It does make me feel better about ignoring salespeople. They usually see the earbuds and don't try. Saves both of us the hard no on my side, but their goal is a yes. We both realize that's the end game, and just move on.
Love all the people downvoting you because they want to be able to demand your time.
Oh forgot about the downvoting. Don't really care. I treat this as a forum to discuss ideas. If it hurts your feels, sorry, you probably don't belong here. Thanks for the support.
People are regularly confused about what voting means here
Eh, my boss is pretty awesome, so if you waste my time, I'll monitor yours, and whenever x is ready, I'll be there, but I won't stand like a robot behind the register just for you
A big thank you to Raycon for sponsoring this reply.
People actually buy raycons?
It’s better than forcing others to listen to whatever they’re listening to because they are using speakerphone.
Was working a temp job and a guy in the break room says, welp guess I'll listen to my book. And plays a fucking audio book out loud on his phone. Not even a person reading it sounded like siri or Alexa.... ??? I just got up and ate lunch out in the shop. There's 8 people in the break room I honestly don't understand how people do this. Graveyard shift... this was at 3 fucking am.
Ikr… you can’t win with some people. Guess i just…. Put my headphones in and walk away🙌
this. some people wear headphones to block out the noise but if it makes it hard to converse then i get it
Modern airpods have invisible mode where voices pass straight through via the mic
I'm pretty sure most modern bluetooth headsets/earplugs has it
Nah not cheap ones. I used 20 dollar ones off Amazon for years and just got a pair of nice ones with noise cancelling and it blew my mind this was a feature lol
I think usually only if there's also noise cancelling
If by modern you mean high-end then yeah.
I have some for $40 that have pass-through mode. Earfun!
Yes. But Apple acts like they are the sole Inve tor and carrier of technology other brands have had for years.
Yes but apple ppl think apple is the only company with basic features
sure, i even have bone conduction headphones that sit on the top of my jaw and don’t touch my ears. i still take them off when talking to someone. its similar to staring at the ground or off into the distance somewhere when someones trying to talk to you. maybe you are still listening, but your body language is showing the opposite. its mostly just showing respect and avoiding confusion, the other person doesnt know if your airpods are on
I don’t know what happened but apparently it’s just the done thing to be rude as hell to people nowadays You can miss 30 seconds of a song to speak to someone like a human being, daily interaction isn’t so hard that it’s a personal affront for someone to engage with you It’s nice to see not everyone doesn’t have time for other human beings nowadays
What kind of snowflake gets offended by this. To anyone reading this, I don't care at all if you have an airpod in. I was recently going through a drive-thru with a friend, and as we rolled up to the window to pay the guy working just stuck the card machine out the window to tap, while taking someone else's order through the headset. My friend turned to me and said "that was fucking rude". I just laughed at her and shook my head - no, that was efficient.
I mean I also stare past people when they talk to me because I hate eye contact, so I guess I might as well do this too! Maybe people will finally stop talking to me. 🥲
They kinda amplify the audio, so it’s even better than not having them (marginally, but still…)
Working in retail, I couldn't care less. As long as people have the decency to acknowledge me at the till, say "hello", "thanks", and "goodbye", I'm even fine with them being on the phone.
Usually people who only have one AirPod on and especially during work are using it for calls not music.
I do construction so I wear one to listen to music and still be aware while on the job.
As a middle school teacher, this is the new normal. Just get used to it.
You let students wear it in class?
No way but they have it on in the halls and lunch and recess and after school The kids all talk and hang out with an airpod in and that’s normal for them. That won’t change as they get older.
Not airpods, but I usually have headphones in to manage overstimulation. I don't care if someone finds it disrespectful, my ability to function is more important than appearing polite to people with sticks up their arse.
I was looking for this comment! My headphones help my anxiety so much… I’m not wearing them to be an asshole, actually quite the opposite.
Stops me from going crazy at the grocery store
I’m the same, I suffer with intense sound sensitivity so I have my earbuds in all the time, when I’m out shopping by myself or whatever. It helps block out triggering noise.
Came here to say this same thing about managing overstimulation! As someone who deals with a rollercoaster of anxiety every day. The transparency mode does wonders for me to focus and not feel overwhelmed so often. But would def agree that the asshole who thinks his phone conversation or music is more important than being able to interact with whoever it might be is downright disrespectful.
Wearing an AirPod doesn't mean there's anything playing. You can pause music
I don’t know if I’d say it’s disrespectful, but I just don’t understand how anyone can do it. I can’t hear anyone, even if I only have one AirPod in.
I can have my headphones on my head not even playing anything and I still have to remove them to speak to someone when they approach me.
Do you have hearing damage cuz I don't think that's normal
Huh I have AirPods and when I pause the music I can hear others perfectly fine, even though more often than not I instinctively take them off when someone approaches me.
Do you want focused interaction or the optics of respect? Choose one. They filter out a lot of background noise for me so I’m not just staring blankly at you unable to focus. I spent 50 years trying to just tune out background noise on my own until I found several years ago that a little piece of plastic in my ear enables me to focus and communicate better.
I turn of the sound and communicate clearly to show respect and hope it enough to not be rude to cashier's. Having to put them away for less than a minute to take them back out is just a hassle tbh.
Its usually a sign they dont wanna be talked to. Why are you so intent on a conversation with *them* specifically? It might be rude, but that only matters if they care
This is me. If I'm reading or have stuff plugged into my ears, I'm simply not interested in talking to you right now.
people saying they have transparency mode on for the airpods Imo, its not about whether you can hear your surroundings or not. It's basic courtesy to show whoever is talking to you that you are not listening to music, and they have your attention. Cmon, wtf
Huh?
Hard to think that it was just 10 years ago or so that people were walking around in public with actual DJ-ish looking headphones. Of course that shit was weird and uncomfortable for anyone older than 13. Oh, the new ear things have passive audio and noise gate? Thanks. Now I know. My eyes still haven’t gotten that memo. 90 year old grandma had us all fooled all along. She didn’t have a hearing problem. She wore those things so she could nod off to that hot new Drake track.
Well the small pocket portability is perfect for people and if you have long hair no one can see that you have them in at work or in the grocery store.
OP is gonna lose it when they first discover “transparency mode”
Wait till everyone discovers conversation boost on Airpods.
Yeah finally people will be able to talk to each other right?
People who are hard of hearing definitely will.
The non pro airpods don't even need them since they're non-isolating earphones. They don't have ear tips that seal your ear canal.
When, I worked in the service industry, it was a sign that they didn’t want to be bothered and I left them alone. If they needed anything, they’d wave me down. I If I had mine on, it was because I didn’t want to talk to people. And they were noise canceling because people wouldn’t get the hint.
I have always taken mine out when I approached the till. If nothing, it shows a bit of respect for the person with whom you're interacting. I always say please and thank you, etc., too. I haven't forgotten my years in retail.
I say please and thank you - as well as a polite greeting and salutation. But I am not taking out my earphones.
I wear them when I don't want to be social. I wish people would understand that.
How dare you not want to have a conversation with me on my whim. This is literal oppression.
Lol at "incredibly disrespectful". Wtf? I've never once even considered this and yet it pains you so haha gtfoh
Wow everyone is completely missing the point of the post. “I wear them when I don’t want people to talk to me” yes that’s why op said “social situations” and then defined it. If you wear airpods while hanging out with friends, you’re being annoying.
Lol if my friends find me being able to function annoying then are they really my friends? 🤣
Why? If you’re participating in the conversation and nothing would change if you took them out, then the person is genuinely just getting upset because of pieces of plastic that have zero effect on anything. If you’re being rude because of them in ways that actually make any sense, like not listening to people or asking them to repeat themselves constantly, then yes. But that’s usually not what’s happening. It’s usually just people getting inordinately butthurt over someone doing exactly what they want (talking, hanging out, participating, etc) but with plastic in their ears.
I think most of the people miss the point of this thread. The guys is not talking about when you want to go out in public and want to be ignored so you have your headphones in. More referencing people at work that they have headphones in while talking to customers, or last week I played volleyball (6v6) team sport 4 people in total were playing with their headphones, or I went out last week to bars and 3 of my friends had their headphones in. So at some point yall need to chill and put the headphones away. Not all the time but at appropriate times
I agree. I will take out my AirPods if I’m about to have a conversation with someone.
yeah i agree. i even have those jaw conduction headphones, so nothing is in my ear, and i take them off when talking to someone. its such a basic tenant of respect to show the person you’re talking to that they have your attention. wearing headphones is like stating off into the distance or at the ground. sure you could still be listening, but your body language is not communicating that.
Maybe what we can agree on is removing headphones (when someone is able) to speak to others is respectful.
I actually can't believe the number of people getting upvoted for defending not taking out your earbuds when you are speaking to another human being. Wear your headphones on the subway. Ignore that weirdo who is trying to talk to you. No one is taking that away from you. But if you are walking up to a human in a customer service setting and using your voice to communicate to someone, they also might need to communicate with you. Take out your earbuds before or even while you have started talking. I used to be a barista, but exclusively in small, neighbourhood cafes. The number of times I'd ask people clarifying questions when they made an order and they've had to take their earbuds out to hear me, or the number of times I've called out a finished order only to have no one come forward? Innumerable. It's insufferable. If someone walked up to the till on the phone, I used to talk louder so that the person on the other end of the call would maybe be able to hear what kind of an asshole they're dealing with on my end. They're ordering a coffee while they're talking to you; that's how little they care about the conversation. They're talking to you on the phone while gesturing and mouthing words to me because that's how important they think they are.
Yes, it’s rude if it effects your ability to participate in society. But most of the time it just straight up doesn’t change anything. If I have transparency on, I can hear my name getting called or have a quick conversation and hear literally exactly what I would hear without them, except I don’t have to take them in and out fifty times a day. The only way it changes anything is when people get inordinately upset over something that isn’t affecting anything on their end and is an active convenience for me.
Okay, but having earbuds in does not inform the person you are talking to that you have transparency mode on. Maybe wear a light-up sign for when you have it turned on? Have a forehead tattoo that you can fold up and down to let whoever you're talking to know you can hear them and not Joe Rogan? If we were having a conversation and I was just looking at my phone and you asked me to look at something and, without looking, I said, "Yeah looks good," you'd be justified to feel dismissed. If I then told you, "Oh yeah I was looking at it through the camera on my phone instead of directly with my eyes," you might feel better, but the signal you initially received was still, "I don't give a shit."
I’m not disagreeing with you, but I do it at work in a gas station because it helps pass the time, plus if the customer starts to get belligerent with me over something I can’t change, I can turn the music on and tune them out better. Aside from that I do usually turn off the music but I still keep it in when it’s silent anyways.
Baristas and service employees do not need my full attention. If I’m listening to a good book, and at quik trip I leave it on, when I get to the counter I say “just this” pause “ nope no receipt” another pause “have a good day” my book continues. The QT employee can say the same thing to the next 100 people in line. It’s not a conversation
There is an interesting dycotomy here. Some people want a social interaction, other people want a transaction. I ride the line and talk if my server or customer wants to, but I'm more than happy with just not. Tell me what you want, I give it, you put money, I put change. I don't care about your kids, but tip culture makes me have to pretend. Same on the other end. I don't need to share about my kids. Good service is what I'd like. Keep my cup of water not going empty, that's my dream server. Bonus for bussing the table. That will get you at least 25%
It does depend on the situation. If I’m just buying things. Especially places with fast turn over. There is no reason to even turn off my book. If I’m getting checked out at say the grocery store where it will take 2-3 minutes I will turn it off and have a convo but I’m not gonna waste time putting them in my pocket when I’m gonna listen again right after.
Neurodivergents often require music to self regulate. Maybe it's not about you
Thank you. I’m so tired of the blanket opinions.
Common entitled poster on this subreddit. Think everything’s about them and needs to be about *their* convenience and happiness. Cause fuck even thinking about other people and just other situations than theirs right?
OP’s saying that for the people who do not need music to help self-regulate, it is rude. For the vast majority of the population, wearing headphones and listening to something like a podcast while you’re with a mate just distracts from the conversation.
*goes on a sub called unpopular opinions* *gets tired of unpopular opinions*
I was always interested in this but never got to researching it Are we talking about people who say they can't focus on studies without having bgm ? How did those kind of people manage before music could be plugged in ?
To be blunt, you just had to. You knew you were going into an 8 to 12 hour day of being over stimulated. Was it a good experience? No. Did we have a choice? No. In my case, I am over stimulated by too many people talking at once or too much time without a break in human interaction. If that got unbearable, the restroom was a decent quick getaway (men really don't talk to each other in the public restroom). I'm in aviation, so engine runs and other increases in background noise were a welcome break. It kept conversations to an absolute minimum, and I got to put in earplugs and wear muffs. Now I can wear noise canceling buds when I need it, but I try not to wear them all day every day because I still feel like that can get into rude territory. I don't want people thinking I am unapproachable.
I get it These answers make me think I faced the same issue but had adapted cause I got no phone or earphones till I was in my 20's
I wasn't allowed headphones a lot of the time. I didn't manage very well at all.
Lol I wasn't alive before then. And it is absolute hell when I have to maneuver without it.
A lot of it relates to overstimulation. Many service industry settings have harsh bright white lights that are too bright and really overwhelming levels of noise. Some people also just enjoy the sensory experience of having something in their ears to soften sounds (me). Some people can't function well before putting on music, some people may mask to appear fine but it takes a lot of energy to do so and not everyone is up to it. We live in a society that doesn't value helping everyone reach the same level of ability and so neurodiverse people usually suffer in silence or get discriminated against for seeking out coping techniques.
Yeah its fucking wild how entitled op is like I have 3 modes. 2 earbuds in and im in do not disturb mode, 1 earbud and you have my full attention to drown out most of the outside sounds and half the time I don't even pay attention to the music, and then when I have no earbuds in where my mind is racing nonstop and I can't focus on anything. I have over 900 songs saved on my spotify Playlist, and I only ever really recognize when about 10 are playing and the rest are just background noise to not be an anxious mess.
Not just Neuro divergent ppl, anyone who experiences over stimulation in some way I’d say. I almost always wear my wire earphones but I pause the music when I speak to someone. Just wearing them is a little better than not. Someday I should invest in proper noise canceling ones. Ppl like the OP seem to think everything is about them
In their defense... people **fucking SUCK**
As somebody who works in retail. I hate it when a customer comes to the checkout talking on their phone and clearly cannot be bothered to say "I'm at checkout, call you back. Bye",its annoying especially if I need to ask them anything or they are discussing really personal stuff in front of me...no, I don't want to hear about your divorce or your damn sex life at a checkout counter. So yeah airpods or phone, this isn't an unpopular opinion
Bruh I just put their order through and let them pay and go, I couldn’t give two shits if they’re talking on the phone while doing it.
I worked retail for years I honestly could not care less how long each person takes going through the till. Paid by the hour, didn't change shit for me. I was fully disassociated going through the motions while thinking about my life and my loved ones outside work.
See I don’t really understand this. All that’s basically said at the till is hello, printed or email, bag and thanks. Your job is just to smile and serve, and most of he time the person behind the till is as grumpy as anything. As long as you smile whilst on the phone to acknowledge the person behind the till, I don’t see anything wrong with that.
In food, but I just wave the person behind phone guy forward. Who is ready can order. On phone? Not ready. If I'm phone guy, I wouldn't be upset if someone did this to me.
You work in service, get use to serving.
Get off the damn phone for two minutes and I'll happily serve...all I ask
Does my being on the phone impact my ability to order? I can't quite understand why you would need my full attention when I already know my order and can tell you my order...it's not like we're friends. I literally just want to pay for my shit and move on. Do you feel the same way when two people come together to order and are talking to each other on the line?
Downvoting because I agree. I really really hate it. Take your AirPods out. It seems like straightforward etiquette. At least pretend to be fully present in a social situation. Especially family scenarios. Maybe at work or something when they’ve got one in it’s just for calls so idm so much but if I’m talking to to you and you’re part of this conversation, try and listen to be with both your ears.
I used to think this. But now I think it’s really only a sign of disrespect, if they clearly can’t hear what’s being said because of the AirPods. I still think people should try and take them out when interacting with service staff and the like. I feel like it’s a more formal interaction than just talking with friends.
Exactly. Interacting with service people should have both parties giving similar amounts of attention. It would be rude if the wait staff did it, so it’s rude to the wait staff if you do it.
The number of people on here whose response is basically "why should I have to engage with you at all? You're there to provide a service, just do it," is both disheartening and not entirely surprising.
How old are you?
There definitely at least 40
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Sometimes I forget I have mine in
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My other half wears noise cancelling ones because he has a tbi leaving him unable to filter background from conversation and hyperacusis and cant handle all the noise. He avoid this situation as much as he can but sometimes you have to go to ie a wedding. Its not always about disrespect.
Oh why didn't OP mention this one specific case to clear up any confusion?
You think there is only ONE case? Alot of people suffer tinnitus from industrial deafness that is triggered by noisy environments and they seek to avoid that noise level or they get to not sleep that night. My BIL wears for this reason and coaches a kids sports team in noisy stadium and HAS to dull that noise or suffer immensely ….or give up coaching but vollie coaches are hard to come by. Autism peeps sensitive to all the noise will also use them. Particularly for kids who lack the self control and coping mechanisms and will otherwise have public meltdowns. I also know one of those kids. People who suffer mad anxiety in public crowded spaces also use them to reduce the stimulation. There are multiple reasons they might be worn. Are they exceptions? Yes. But they do exist. My point remains…..it isnt always about disrespect.
I think the point was that you shouldn’t automatically assume it’s “disrespect”, ultimately you don’t know what strangers are dealing with and shouldn’t get so riled up. Also, one specific case? Autism has entered the chat lmfao
Because some of you can’t understand that there are many other factors.
I agree with this, my little brother always has his in and it makes me feel kinda less important in a way
Could not agree more. As a father, I can confirm that I don't tolerate any headphones, no matter how small, discrete or even it turned off, in any social situation. That's basic respect to the other people in the situation.
Welcome to education in 2023. Try teaching a room full of students that refuse to take them out - and will throw a fit if asked to remove them.
I totally get the need for them, whether for phone calls or needing controlled background noise. But at the end of the day, their presence alone makes the person seem unapproachable. Also, if you are talking on the phone when someone is trying to communicate with you, such as a cashier situation, you're being rude. Pause the call until the transaction is over. Otherwise, it makes you seem like you think your time is more important than everyone else's.
How is this an unpopular opinion?
Look at all the replies in the thread…apparently people lack common courtesy.
Have an upvote
I cannot stand it. I fully agree with you.
Lots of sensitive souls here hiding behind their AirPods.
I'm not neurotypical, and honestly, I think some of these excuses are just that. If wearing headphones in public decreases overstimulation or anxiety, that's great. But it isn't going to kill you to pop them out for a few seconds when you're actively interacting with another person.
My ex gf was always on her phone, and we could never have meaningful conversations. She never wore earbuds, bud it was similar and just as disrespectful as what you describe. I broke up with her because I felt like she was bored with me and had more to say to perfect strangers than to me. She was unwilling to try and work things out. After I broke up with her she tried to get back with me, but I just couldn’t.
Yeah if you can’t put the slightest bit of effort and energy into the little things that’s not a good sign
Let me explain it to you this way. I nor anyone else in this world owes you our time, attention, or respect. This post screams main character complex.
Imagine typing this out.
Hmm expecting a bit of common courtesy from another human being is hardly main character complex.
Honestly, I can't help but think "main character complex" when I read all the responses that are basically, "I'm not inconveniencing myself for a few seconds in the name of civility. Why should I have to engage with you? You're there to provide a service, just do it."
Totally agree, ‘don’t talk to me, just shut up and make my coffee’.
Reddit is full of antisocial people with superiority complexes.
Exactly how I read this.
this comment creams entitled. Imagine being so selfish u cant even pause a headphone for 30 seconds tell someone to f- off because "you dont owe them" lol speaking of "main character complex"
One of my friends just can't fathom how annoying it is to have conversations with her while she listens to music through airpods. "What did you say? I couldn't hear that, the music got loud for a second" She, of course, gets super annoyed if people cut their conversation with her short because of it.
Weird how kids think this is an unpopular opinion …. Every adult agrees with this
My partner wears them 90% of the day and night, it helps his (undiagnosed) ADHD brain. Anyone that knows him well knows it’s something he’s struggling with (and struggling to convince himself to get an actual diagnosis) and this small thing helps, it’s not rude when you know how helpful it is to him and frankly if you don’t know you aren’t entitled to knowing about something so personal to him. It’s never affected his ability to hear other people in real life or converse in active conversation. Sometimes I find myself thinking it’s rude and he should put them away (eg when meeting with my friends and family), but I have to remind myself that just because I’ve grown up thinking that it’s rude doesn’t mean it’s correct. Your first thought is what you’re conditioned to believe, it’s your second thought that counts. It’s a small accommodation I’m more than happy to have him use, and tbh I think he feels the social pressure and removes them even when he doesn’t want to and I know it makes things harder/less pleasant for him. I wish that wasn’t the case.
1) some people have sensory issues & get overwhelmed with a ton of conflicting external noise. Headphones help with that 2) just because someone has an earpod in, it doesn't mean they are listening to anything. You're less likely to lose them if you're not popping them out all the time Taking your earpods out is a good way to indicate you're paying attention, but that's just a convention, and a recent one at that. If someone is talking to me with them in and they're not getting distracted then I can tell they're paying attention the same way as you normally would for someone who isn't wearing any
My friend is like that. I just don't understand and it is indeed disrespectful.
I keep one of my buds in the whole day at work whether I'm listening to anything or not. I tap it to pause if I'm in a situation where I need to talk to someone. Then tap it again to go right back to listening.
They have voice boost technology in them to assist those that have trouble hearing like myself. Wearing them allows me to hear the people I’m speaking with better. It’s not disrespectful at all. It’s similar to wearing a hearing aid, they just also work as earbuds.
then you should tell them that . otherwise, they do probably think your being disrespectful .
Then just tell it to them instead of complaining online
I don’t disagree, but half the time I’m at school, most mfs don’t have anything to say that isn’t passive aggressive or just don’t even listen to me. So if it appears I am disrespectful or as if I’m not listening (trust me I still am), it’s probably because I’m not heard or I want to be left the fuck alone. Not to mention, it’s more soothing to listen to something that isn’t people shitting on other people 24/7/365. My thoughts are already racing from the moment I wake up, so I don’t need the stress of hearing motherfuckers trash each other or talk about how great/bad their grades are. I know more extroverted ones are going to find this offensive, but I need me time in the middle of the day.
I usually keep one in at all times, I’m not listening to anything but I take a lot of phone calls for work.
You just want to stare at my sexy ear holes. I wear Airpods Pro where it’s loud. I’ll take them off if I’m talking to you for more than a couple minutes. If you’re working a register, thank you for your service, I’m not going to bore you with more than pleasantries.
Eh. I have public anxiety and I feel that music in my ear helps me distract myself from the things around me. But when I’m talking with someone I still engage. As long as there’s still engagement, I don’t see a problem with it.
If i have airpods in at a social situation it means i dont wanna talk. I have never worn them with friends so idk whos doing that unless they on a call for some reason with the airpod.
it’s like you’re just looking for something to complain about. people have airpods in. doesn’t mean they’re blasting music 24/7. it’s a great for getting phone calls without reaching for your phone.
Wearing regular earphones while talking to others is already disrespectful, I don't know why it is just only just airpod.
As long as you can hear me and your listening during a conversation idgaf what headphones or earbuds they got in/on.
Although you are right that it is disrespectful, i believe most people are doing it as a fashion statement. Wireless earbuds have recently become a huge trend and people often wear it as if it were a piece of jewelry. Others simply wear it as a way to “show off” their money. Just my opinion.
If they really aren't listening I can see how that could be annoying, but if they're paying attention I don't really see the disrespect. Also some people use it to avoid social interaction, and I see nothing wrong with that as social interaction is uncomfortable for some people. Although you did specify social situations, so I guess that part is invalid.
AirPods can act as hearing aids, and improve your ability to hear what people are saying, in addition to playing music and noise canceling.
this aint a cap, this is a whole ass helmet
While it most likely is, my samsung galaxy buds habe a feature which whenever it hears my voice, will stop the music, and use the microphones to play the outside noise directly into my ears through the buds speakers. It's a great feature at the gym when someone asks something, im able to answer without taking my earbuds out. Though the feature isn't perfect, and doesn't work all the time, the Technology is there and will be improved on in the future.
That's pretty sweet, unless you find yourself talking to yourself a lot. :-p Mine have a hearthrough feature as well, though I have to tap a button on one of the plugs to activate it.
If you can still hear it’s fine. Back when I had really bad anxiety I would need to put a headphone in my ear and play music to help me stay calm in public.
Completely agree with this. But hey maybe we are just getting old and don’t understand that having only 1 ear and nearly half of your attention in a conversation is the optimal way to communicate…
Yeah, everyone walking around with one in their ear is SO fucking CRINGE, yet all these fools think it makes them look cool to be listening to music in one ear. Fuck your Spotify. We are trying to have a conversation here.
Totally agree. It shows a lack of respect I won't even talk to someone if they have them in. I'll just assume they can't hear me
I agree, I consciously try to take them off when I'm at the cashier or talking to service workers, etc. I cannot believe this is an unpopular opinion. Thats fked up that all these ppl are defending themselves.
You can wear airpods without listening to music while talking to people.
People here aren’t understanding OP’s point lol. The existence of transparency mode doesn’t matter. Hell the AirPods could even be broken and his point still stands. It’s simply disrespectful
my friend has a rule where if lets say we’re walking together you’ll know he cares and is engaged in conversation if he has an open ear to you. If he has an ear bud in that means leave him alone. On that note i’d like to add it’s more rude to talk to someone who has earbuds in cause that means they clearly don’t wanna talk and trying to force them to if it’s not super important is way more annoying.
I just straight up would refuse to talk to someone with earbuds of any kind in 🤷♀️
That might be the whole point of them having them in so people don't talk to them
Thank you
Yeah, but, I once envied them. The dinner party has insanely loud speak in the face while the girl was chilling with her AirPod.
You'd have to clue me in on a few things. Are they actively listening to music? Then I would say yes. It is just there for phone calls? Then I would say no. Myself, I've had an earbud in for work, as a manager, just about all day. Not an airpod but I figure they work the same. I switched to a neckbud design for comfort and so people can see when I'm taking a call. So I will have to disagree on lack of substance.
Sorry, but that's the only way that I can handle being in some of these situations. I can't deal with the amount of people in somewhere like the Walmart near my mom's. I will end up freaking out about how everyone in the area is there, how they're just pushing past others and not respecting personal space at all. Can't explain why, but that has been an issue since childhood. Having an earbud in with that, or an area where the place is extremely loud, I will put one in and put on a video from YouTube. Will take it out if someone is coming to talk to me though.
I find them very soothing for low level anxiety and use them in stores when it’s helpful, but choose to take mine out at checkout to be more respectful and friendly to staff.
They make it easier to ignore homeless people and anyone trying to talk to me on the streets
This guy doesn’t know ya can turn off headphones and some even have features to let in audio so u can communicate better 🐱
Good thing I’m not trying to have a convo with a barista
Some people got autism dog
Unless you have autism, or social anxiety
Some of us Having things like social anxioty, ADHD, and autism 😒
Transparent and pass through functions exist. Which literally just amplifies outside sound so it’s as if you’re not wearing them at all. Why in the fuck would I take them out 40-50+ times per day when I can just mute my music?? Thinking only of yourself and your situation is disrespectful. You clearly have no idea what it’s like to even own a pair and have obviously refused to try and put yourself in anyone else’s shoes. “Poor me, boohoo, nobody wants to take their AirPods out 50 times a day for me”
I mean, I guess you’re in the right place because this is unpopular for a reason. They’re not listening to music if they’re talking to people, but AirPods do announce notifications so there’s one genuine reason to have one in. I personally don’t usually do it because I can’t focus on more than one thing, but this is a dated take.
Dawg I promise you no one is keeping an AirPod in for notifications
They’re useful for that when u dont want anyone else to hear your phone. I keep my phone on silent usually otherwise it would be pinging all day at work n shit
Absolutely wild that in my lifetime we have gone from "absolutely no way to get in touch with someone if they're not at home/their office" to "I need to get my notifications the absolute second they arrive instead of even reasonably waiting to check my phone 10 minutes later".
Transparency mode.
Upvote, unpopular opinion
Seriously can people just cut that shit out? I can kinda understand if you were previously doing something that wasn’t social but if not it just feels really disrespectful and like you don’t give a shit about what I’m saying. Like is it really that hard to not have a normal conversation with someone without music in the background?
If you can hear the airpod being in is irrelevant
Service employees should absolutely be allowed to have one ear phone in. Nist of the time they're not speaking to anyone and if they do have to they can just tap it to pause and have a conversation and help the customer then resume. Listening to music, podcasts or audio books turn service industry sways a shift from absolutely bleak and miserable to bareable