Point well taken, although I don’t think outright *banning* earbuds is the answer. My biggest gripe with earbuds is how they generally make people appear unapproachable and anti-social. Like preoccupation with smartphones, earbuds just make it much more difficult to engage in friendly conversation with others (or flirt with members of the opposite sex), especially in public settings like a gym.
Sadly, I believe America has pretty much decayed into a social graveyard since the turn of the century as more and more folks elect to constantly “plug in” to technology (which is especially observable among Millennials). For all these reasons and more, I won’t wear earbuds out in public and instead prefer to play music directly from my phone speaker at a low volume. This way, I can also still keep my ears fully attuned to the world around me and help maintain my personal safety in the process.
>My biggest gripe with earbuds is how they generally make people appear unapproachable and anti-social. Like preoccupation with smartphones, earbuds just make it much more difficult to engage in friendly conversation with others (or flirt with members of the opposite sex), especially in public settings like a gym.
Which is why we wear them. America is no longer a high trust society and social interactions are mostly a danger rather than a pleasure. Wear the earbuds and the homeless, con-artists, and other types leave us alone.
>Sadly, I believe America has pretty much decayed into a social graveyard since the turn of the century as more and more folks elect to constantly “plug in” to technology (which is especially observable among Millennials).
Low trust nations are by definition social graveyards.