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Re:The AirPods Effect by browningstreet on Friday June 19, 2026 @11:08AM (#48599495)
A buffer isn’t necessarily isolation or insulation.
Re:The AirPods Effect by sillyfluke on Friday June 19, 2026 @11:31AM (#48599754)
You will have to explain. Headphones in work or street environments definitely function to minimize interactions with surrounding humans. I literally think twice before engaging with people wearing headphones and am rather oblivious to people around me when I'm wearing them unless someone is using physical gestures to get my attention.

If general public habits shift to the extent that the majority of people with headphones end up only using them for noise cancelling then my behavior would also shift accordingly.