Are you listening? Constant use of Bluetooth earbuds may be driving social isolation, says research

Have you ever tried talking to someone only to discover they haven’t heard a word you’ve said because they are using Bluetooth earbuds?

Researchers say such encounters in high-tech society are fraying our ability to communicate with others and are driving feelings of loneliness and isolation.

Take Joe Waters, CEO and co-founder of the independent social research nonprofit Capita.

“I live in close proximity to Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina, and what we witness every day is everyone who is walking to and from classes with headphones or AirPods in, not talking to one another,” Mr. Waters told The Washington Times. “And we know from our study with Harvard … and other studies that Gen Z, 18- to 29-year-olds, are the loneliest generation.”

“The simple act of wearing earbuds … is causing potentially irreparable damage to ourselves psychologically, emotionally, and socially,” psychologist Jim Taylor, a University of San Francisco professor, said in Psychology Today.

A Bloomberg analysis found that 62% of Americans ages 18-24 own Bluetooth earbuds. Analysts at Research and Markets estimated that Bluetooth listening devices would generate more than $22 billion in revenue in 2024.

Bluetooth listening devices, especially those with noise-canceling features, allow users to transform busy environments into musical soundscapes or personal quiet zones.

Dan Seifert, deputy editor of The Verge, said in an analysis that “AirPods are earplugs now.”

“Urban environments are noisy, coffee shops and restaurants routinely turn music up to club levels, and open office plans are widely criticized for how much noisier they are than cubicle farms,” he wrote.

In Psychology Today, Mr. Taylor said earbuds create an invisible wall that deters natural, spontaneous social interactions, especially among younger people.

“I’m sure you’ve experienced the situation of wanting to talk to someone, but you don’t because you don’t want to disturb them,” he wrote.

Mr. Waters said cooperation, not total independence, is the basis of society, and it becomes nearly impossible when people constantly tune out their neighbors.

“Because, you know, the opposite of loneliness is not just friendship. It’s a shared agency, shared ownership. It’s doing things together, right? And you know the isolation that we enforce upon ourselves, even if we don’t feel lonely … that’s mediated by these technologies … means that we’re not cooperating, collaborating, working together, even in a spontaneous way, with our friends and neighbors,” he told The Times.

Solitary sounds

Loneliness is hitting hard in America. In 2023, the U.S. surgeon general found that nearly half of adults acknowledged feeling alone. In 2021, a Cigna study revealed that 57% of men and 59% of women reported the sting of isolation.

The Campaign to End Loneliness says small talk and brief interactions are often enough to improve well-being and feelings of connectedness. Research shows that face-to-face interactions, even brief, incidental conversations, contribute to well-being and help diminish loneliness. Earbud users have less frequent exchanges.

Timothy Leech, CEO of WaveLength, a British-based charity that strives to reduce loneliness, said breaking the habit of constant headphone use can be tough.

“So we know that somebody who has been experiencing high loneliness and isolation for three to six months finds it very difficult to make connections. For them, [it’s] virtually impossible,” Mr. Leech told The Times.

Researchers also say Bluetooth listening devices can prevent users from fully engaging with themselves out of fear of boredom.

“Now you might think that’s a good thing because boredom is, well, boring. But boredom is actually a vital evolutionary function that encourages out-of-the-box thinking, spurs creativity, and catalyzes exploration. When we are bored, we are motivated to seek novel experiences, get out of comfort zones, and try new things,” Mr. Taylor wrote in Psychology Today.

In his view, constant audio keeps the mind from wandering and cuts off the “nonlinear thinking” that can lead to new ideas and discoveries.

The Times reached out for comment from Bluetooth earbud manufacturers such as Apple, JBL and Sony.

Some headphone users report feeling more at ease within their urban environments. A 24-year-old who asked not to be identified removed her headphones to explain her use to The Times as she rode the A train in New York City.

“I use them to drown out the crazy men around me. It’s just hard to feel at peace if I have to hear that all the time,” she said. She said she is often approached by homeless men asking for help on the streets or the subway. “It can be scary, as a single woman, to have to deal with that [constantly]. I’d rather just block it out … though I know that’s a little heartless.”

Mr. Leech said women often self-isolate to avoid harassment.

“We study loneliness in the U.K., and it was shown that [since the beginning of] the pandemic, loneliness rose within gender, particularly within women, and I think that that was quite telling. And I think that was more to do with the networks that people had, and the conversations and the more verbal and emotional connection, which women often [seek out],” he said.

The Brooklyn woman said listening to music helps prevent overstimulation in the big city. “It’s just soothing to not be afflicted by the noise of New York, you know?”

Andrea Wigfield, director of the Center for Loneliness Studies at Sheffield Hallam University, said earbud use can create a sense of belonging if practiced within reason.

“If you think about earbuds, they’re a great tool for connecting individuals with music or with … whatever’s going on in the world in terms of news,” she told The Times. “And that kind of connection to music, let’s say, can create a sense of belonging. So it can have a positive impact on you in that way. But at the same time, because you’re immersed in this other world, it then sort of cuts you off from other things as well.”

Good hearing

Constant earbud use is affecting users’ inner worlds and their hearing. Audiologist Ike Iheagwara of the Center for Healthy Hearing in New York said high earbud volume almost ensures hearing damage.

“If you have sustained usage of anything that’s loud … you have a greater propensity of potential hearing loss,” Mr. Iheagwara told The Times. “And you know, specifically, it’s called noise-induced hearing loss. And so that’s really the risk that you have by, you know, over usage with too much volume. You know, the body does not discriminate what’s causing it. It can really cause damage.”

AirPods, in particular, can also help those with sustained hearing loss. Newer models boast a hearing aid function. According to a 2022 iScience study, Apple’s AirPods Pro can rival prescription hearing aids priced in the thousands of dollars.

Researchers tested 21 participants who wore either AirPods or medical-grade hearing aids while repeating sentences they heard. In quieter environments, the AirPods Pro performed as well as the basic $1,500 hearing aids and fell slightly behind a premium $10,000 model.

AirPods can’t fully replace dedicated hearing aids, but experts hint at a future where affordable technology doubles as subtle hearing support.

As Bluetooth headphones reshape social interaction, experts emphasize the importance of conscious choice to find a balance that allows us to enjoy personal quiet without sacrificing opportunities for connection and community.

“The fact that we walk around with our AirPods in is not lost on us. It’s really just a symbol of the constellation of other issues that we’re facing as a people,” Mr. Waters told The Times.