London Gilbert

Luca Osorio ’28 studies for every test listening to his favorite artist 2slimey.

In a world with so many wonders of music and intelligence to be conveyed, we have a wide selection of genres to choose from. Whether it’s music, podcasts, or videos, people may use headphones to escape from a busy school environment. However, some students use headphones as a signal that they would like to concentrate or have personal space. Dorian Matazuk ‘28 explained, “If people see me wearing headphones, they’ll know, ‘leave him alone. 
He’s locked in.” Headphones are not just about listening to music, but to communicate that to others that a person is focused and does not want to be bothered in their state of work.

For many students, headphones are useful to focus, relax, or escape the sounds of the outside world. Others see headphones as a tool that can enhance their connection to what they are watching or listening to. “I wear headphones to be more immersed in the music or videos that I am listening to,” said Hayden Vernier ‘27. With fewer distractions and clearer sounds, headphones allow people to engage with their own sense of being.

 However, there can also be social constraints with wearing headphones; there may be some stigma in always wearing headphones. People may feel very distant from their surroundings or even less likely to be approached, whereas people who aren’t wearing headphones present as less intimidating and more approachable, in that sense. For what it means, headphone wearers may and will always have an appearance of being distant from the conversation, and introverted in a sense, but they could just be here to enjoy their time and have a perspective on what it means to be focused.