Civility

Naked Ears in Company

Technology only refines us if we remember to stay human. Headphones off remains the simplest act of respect.

The Standard We Risk Losing

Apple’s AirPods Pro 3 promise something remarkable: live translation in your ear.
No fumbling with phrasebooks at the café in Paris, no app juggling on the street in Tokyo.
Just speak, listen, understand. Impressive. Revolutionary, even.

But when life is lived with headphones in, where does courtesy go?

Once, slipping off your headphones was a small but vital gesture.
It said, “I am listening to you. You have my attention.”

  • Meeting someone new? Earbuds out.
  • Ordering a coffee? Earbuds out.
  • Crossing a street mid-conversation? Earbuds out.

Those removals signalled presence, respect, humanity.
Now, with AirPods becoming permanent fixtures for translation, calls, or noise-cancellation, that gesture risks extinction.
Without it, interactions shrink into something colder, less human.

Why It Matters

Headphones are a barrier, however transparent the mode pretends to be.
They whisper, “I am partly elsewhere.”

In professional, social, or casual settings, leaving them in suggests detachment — as if the world in front of you is not enough.

Live translation adds another layer. When you speak to someone wearing earbuds, you wonder, “Are they listening to me, or to something else?”
That uncertainty is its own discourtesy.

The XXI Protocol

  1. Headphones Off = Respect On
    If someone addresses you directly — barista, colleague, stranger asking directions — remove at least one earbud. It is a visible signal: “You have my attention.”
  2. Transparency Is Not Courtesy
    Even if your AirPods are in “conversation” mode, take them out. Technology may allow hearing, but manners require showing.
  3. Declare the Exception
    If you must keep them in, say so. “I am listening through these; it helps me understand.” Clarity earns forgiveness.
  4. Default to Naked Ears in Company
    Walking with a friend, talking with a colleague, eating at a table — headphones stay in the pocket. No exceptions.

The Closing Word

AirPods are not villains; they are tools. But tools can erode standards when convenience replaces awareness.
Ignore the world long enough, and it will return the favour.
Removing your headphones is not just about hearing; it is about choosing presence over isolation.

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