Every moment we reach for our headphones before leaving the house we are participating in a silent rebellion, one against silence itself. As we layer this form of modern armour over our ears, what is it we are protecting ourselves against?
History is likely to consider this period of digital overconsumption as one emblematic of a detachment that defines our society. While this is something many of us are likely familiar with, making the choice to subvert from this norm seems trivial. Bi-weekly I have experienced the personal shame of my phone deeming it necessary to comment on how concerningly high my headphone’s volume has become; one I will sheepishly swipe away before returning to my favourite music or social media app. So why do we do this? Why favour disconnection with reality, not to mention the risk of our auricular health, over simply being?
The physical commitment to audio input arrived in the summer of 1979 with the Sony Walkman inspiring people to enhance their experience with the world through a personal soundtrack. Comparably, today our protective headpieces function as a way to estrange ourselves from our surroundings rather than live in them. To blame the hardware alone for this attachment would be unfair, as media has become an all encompassing distraction within itself. So what is it about the online world that has made us so codependent over the past few years? While many blame covid or perceive our generation as simply lazy, I believe the cause runs much deeper. We are constantly exposed to deeply negative sides of the internet as well as the difficulties of young adult life, so engaging with mindless brainrot or your favourite songs can be a blissful way to hit the snooze button on your thoughts.
Overconsumption seems to have become the “it girl” of our decade. It has resulted in a discourse where we feel free to disparage those who fall victim to it, whether it be through fast fashion trends or whichever eating disorder is encouraged this week only to be shamed the next. However, we are not immune from the dopamine hits it promises; and while it feels easy to judge, many of us rely on some form of a digital escape. When was the last time you felt comfortable leaving the house without some form of media based distraction? I know for me personally I won’t be willing to give up my headphones just yet. In truth, there is value in reducing our dependence from digital noise. We gain so much when we allow ourselves to experience life at a slower pace, independent from the influence of people so far from our immediate lives. As acoustic ecologist Gordon Hempton so valuably reminds us: “silence is not the absence of something, but the presence of everything.”
Photo by Adam Birkett on Unsplash