Whether running errands, taking the subway, strolling through the streets, or even working, we have headphones glued to our ears from morning till night. This accessory, which masks the city's hustle and bustle and replaces the noise of the trains with a pleasant playlist, is almost an extension of our heads. Using headphones excessively is not without psychological implications.
A difficulty in listening to oneself
Headphones are practically glued to our ears. On the way to work , they play the fast-paced stories of a podcast or the captivating narrative of our umpteenth audiobook. At work, they blast music called “intense concentration,” which cuts us off from external distractions and chatty colleagues. At the gym, they motivate us with energizing medleys. And in the evening, once we're home, they play the sounds of rain or thunder, our grown-up lullabies. In short, these Bluetooth- connected accessories, successors to the radio and the Walkman, are an extension of our hearing.
When they run out of power, it's the end of the world. You feel completely helpless, as if you couldn't survive a day in the ambient noise. As if you have an auditory intolerance to car horns, engines, and the din of humanity. Wearing headphones constantly isn't just about escaping into your own bubble. It's about minimizing your inner voice and muting your emotions. When the headphone volume is at its highest, your feelings are on "silent" mode.
“Headphones can be a valuable tool for relieving stress by listening to music or a mindfulness podcast. However, their excessive and compulsive use can lead some people to isolate themselves and adopt social avoidance behaviors,” Dr. Grant Blashki states in Body and Soul magazine. Thus, listening to the symphony of Tibetan singing bowls to calm down before an interview will not have the same “saving” effect as listening to random hits during your lunch break. People addicted to headphones are generally the same ones who cannot stand silence, complete stillness. They fear this solitude and inner turmoil.
When music becomes a refuge
The explanation for this headphone addiction is perhaps more rational and doesn't always reflect a panic-stricken fear of silence. It's a well-known fact that "music soothes the soul." It's our therapy, readily available through headphones or earbuds. And there's no need to put on Pharrell Williams' "Happy" to enjoy that little dopamine rush. Music "acts in the brain on the drug circuit, because it's linked to the pleasure and reward system," explains Pierre Lemarquis, a neurologist and neurophysiologist, to actu.fr.
This explains the almost obsessive craving for rhythm and groove in our ears. One sound leads to another, a bit like squares of chocolate. Music also triggers the release of endogenous morphine and mimics the chemical composition of antidepressants in the body. Without the risk of addiction. This is certainly why we can't help but press play, regardless of the activity we're doing. Music then acts as a cocoon in the face of hostility.
As the expert points out, music also creates the illusion of presence: it breaks the isolation. It also has the advantage of reviving positive emotions. Listening to music that accompanied our adolescence or family gatherings is profoundly soothing. It's not for nothing that "memory" music sessions are prescribed to people with Alzheimer's. Of course, listening to true crime episodes about history's worst serial killers isn't quite as beneficial.
The fear of boredom in the background
Keeping headphones firmly in place and letting those tiny bass notes set the rhythm of our daily lives is also a way to escape monotony. This auditory habit, which is far from exceptional, reflects a constant need for distraction, a difficulty in "doing nothing." Listening to audio content on repeat prevents us from daydreaming, thinking, imagining, and creating.
Watching the scenery go by on a train without your ears being filled with the latest hits seems almost unthinkable. Just like leaving your headphones at home when you go for a solo walk. Yet, boredom, while sometimes distressing and dizzying, is profoundly restorative. "You have to give yourself moments of silence: a short walk without headphones or letting your thoughts wander," adds Dr. Teresa Wenhart, a music psychologist and musician in Zurich, in the pages of 20 Minutes .
Wearing headphones from morning till night is not a sign of withdrawal, nor is it an "antisocial" attitude. This modern behavior, often considered impolite, indicates underlying problems.
