Please take out your earbuds and listen to the world around you
by Daniel Fink, MD, Chair, The Quiet Coalition
Photo Credit: Birgit Böllinger
I was reminded of my belief that people should take out their earbuds or remove their headphones and listen to the world around them by Stefan Stern’s well-written screed in The Guardian. His title: The hill I will die on: Remove those earphones- you’re blocking out the music of humanity.
I don’t listen to anything with earbuds because I have hyperacusis and tinnitus*. To understand what I might want to listen to, I would have to turn up the volume to uncomfortably and dangerously loud sound levels to understand the lyrics of the music or the words of the podcast over the ambient noise of street sounds, a coffee shop, or an airplane cabin. When I take my morning walks in the street, not on the sidewalk, I need to be aware of approaching cars.
So my soundtrack on my early morning walks is the birds waking up, the chattering of squirrels, and occasionally the call of a Cooper’s hawk or an owl. Unfortunately, this sometimes also includes the annoying sounds of gardeners’ gas-powered land care equipment or helicopters flying over Los Angeles traffic. And I can say good morning to my walking buddies and exchange a few words without having to remove anything from my ears.
The idea that one needs to have a personalized soundtrack to one’s daily life is a new one. The Sony Walkman was the first personal listening device, marketed in 1979, followed by Sony’s Discman in 1984, Apple’s iPod in 2001, and then multiple personal listening devices by many manufacturers. People used to talk with their walking companions, greet passersby, or just listen to the sounds of the city. If they were using public transport for a daily commute, or trains or planes for longer journeys, they read books or spoke with their seatmates.
I think the use of personal listening devices contributes to the loneliness epidemic. Plus, it’s not really safe to shut out environmental sounds that might warn you of danger.
My suggestion: if you are one of the many users of personal listening devices, try going without them for a day. You might be surprised at what you hear or whom you speak with. And your ears may thank you, too.
*Hyperacusis is a sensitivity to noise that doesn’t bother others and is often perceived as painful. Tinnitus is ringing in the ears. Noise exposure is the main cause of both auditory disorders.
