Take the AirPods Out
People wear their AirPods too much.
AirPods are incredible pieces of technology, and that is the problem. They are so seamless that wearing them has become the default for so many people, and I cannot help but wonder what we are missing.
Overheard conversations that would have made you laugh. The friend walking next to you who gives up rather than competing with what is in your ears. Subtle things like the ambience of the world around you.
I think people are too quick to declare the current moment uninteresting, so they feel the need to import something better.
Obviously, AirPods are fine in many situations. Commutes. Gym. Drowning out the background of the library.
The world is noisier than ever, but it is also full of so many small moments that are easy to miss when you are tuned out. The two-minute conversation with the barista. Somebody laughing at something you will never know about. The sound of the city.
The world is interesting. Try leaving your AirPods out. Not forever. Just sometimes.