Every day brings a new small irritation, but few things test my patience more than that one person who decides the rest of the world should be part of their phone call, playlist, or TikTok marathon. You know exactly who I mean—the headphone-averse individual who treats public spaces like their own personal living room. Why do these people think that we want to be part of their entertainment?
Somewhere along the line, a portion of the population collectively decided that speakerphone is the default mode for every interaction:
- Taking a call in a waiting room?
Speakerphone. - Watching videos in an airport terminal?
Speakerphone. - Listening to music in a quiet café?
Speakerphone.
It’s as if headphones have gone extinct or worse, as if people believe the rest of us want to be part of whatever they’re doing. Spoiler: we do not. Let me say that again. We do not want to hear what is going on in your life or your choice of music!!
Public places work because we all follow a few unspoken rules:
- Don’t take up more room than you need
- Don’t cut in line
- Don’t blast your business into everyone else’s ears
And yet, someone will inevitably decide that the Uber driver has to hear every detail of their day, that the entire grocery store needs to be included in their FaceTime call, or that the strangers in the doctor’s office should be treated to their TikTok scrolling.
Let’s be honest—there are categories:
- The Public Conference Caller
Taking a full business meeting while pacing up and down the sidewalk. - The Video Scroller
Watching short clips on full volume, laughing loudly, ignoring every glare within a 20-foot radius.
- The Music Sharer
Playing music from their phone speaker like it’s 2007 and Bluetooth hasn’t been invented yet.
- The Family FaceTimer
Holding a video call in a quiet waiting room as if it’s a family reunion.
Each one has the same defining trait: a belief that public space exists solely for them.
Beyond the annoyance, there’s a bigger principle: shared spaces only work when we share them thoughtfully. When someone refuses to use headphones, they’re silently declaring:
My convenience matters more than your comfort. And that attitude, more than the noise itself, is what grates on people’s nerves. Please for the love of God, use your headphones!
We all have our little pet peeves, but this one feels like a cultural epidemic. So if you’re out and about today, do your fellow humans a favor: plug in those earbuds, connect those AirPods, or at the very least, turn the volume way down. Your calls, your music, your videos—they’re for you, not the rest of the room.