Are Headphones Making Us Rude?

Dear Ty, 

    Do you remember that funny conversation our family had at dinner last night? I bet you don’t—because you had your headphones on. I know you love to listen to music. But it’s not healthy to cut yourself off from the real world all the time. It makes you miss some pretty special moments­. 

    Wearing headphones also sends a message to the people around you. For example, Grandma came over to visit the other day. You didn’t even notice she was there until I tapped you on the shoulder. Then you put your headphones back on immediately after saying hello. Honestly, it was a little rude. Grandma and I both felt like you didn’t care about us.

    But I’m not just concerned about your manners. Headphones can also hurt your ears. Recent studies found that one in five teens today have some form of hearing loss. Experts say that’s probably because of headphones. 

    So what do you say? Will you take your headphones off at home? I’d ask you in person—but you probably wouldn’t be able to hear me.

Love,
Dad

Dear Dad, 

    I think I have to explain why my headphones are so important to me. 

    Last week, I had a big test. I was trying to study, but you and Mom were being loud. Headphones to the rescue! Research shows that music helps people focus on their work. That’s definitely true for me.

    But I’m not always listening to music. I also listen to books. Sometimes I can understand my reading assignments better this way. In fact, I think that’s why my English grade has improved this year.

    And one last thing: How big of a Drake fan are you? Without my headphones, you’d hear a lot of him! Is that really what you want?

    I can promise to take my headphones off at dinner. But I can’t agree to keep them off all the time. They help me in too many ways. 

Love,
Ty

Dear Ty, 

    Do you remember the funny conversation our family had at dinner last night? You probably don’t. After all, you had your headphones on. I know you love music. But you miss things when you cut yourself off from the world.

    Wearing headphones also sends a message to the people around you. When Grandma came to visit the other day, you didn’t notice she was there. I had to tap you on the shoulder. Then you put your headphones back on right after saying hello. Frankly, it was rude. Grandma and I both felt like you didn’t care about us.

    But this isn’t just about manners. Headphones can also hurt your ears. Recent studies found that one in five teens suffer from hearing loss. Experts say that’s probably because of headphones.

    So will you take your headphones off at home? I’d ask you in person, but you probably wouldn’t hear me.

Love,
Dad

Dear Dad, 

    Maybe I should explain why I wear my headphones so much.

    I had a big test last week. I was trying to study. But you and Mom were being loud. Headphones to the rescue! Research shows that music helps people focus on their work. It helps me a lot.

    But I’m not always listening to music. Sometimes I listen to books. I can understand my reading assignments better this way. 

    Also, how big of a Drake fan are you? Without my headphones, you’d hear a lot of him! Is that really what you want?

    I’ll take my headphones off at dinner. But I won’t keep them off all the time. They help me too much. 

Love,
Ty

Dear Ty, 

    Do you remember that hilarious conversation our family had during dinner last night? You probably don’t—because you had your headphones on. I know how much you enjoy listening to music, but it’s not healthy to cut yourself off from the real world all the time. It makes you miss some pretty special moments.

    Wearing headphones also sends a message to the people around you. For example, when Grandma came over to visit the other day, you didn’t even notice she was there until I tapped you on the shoulder. Then you put your headphones back on immediately after saying hello. Honestly, your behavior was rude, and Grandma and I both felt like you didn’t care about us.

    But I’m not just concerned about your manners. Headphones can also damage your hearing. Recent studies found that one in five teens today have some form of hearing loss, and experts say that’s probably because of headphones.

    So what do you say—will you stop wearing your headphones at home? I’d ask you in person, but you probably wouldn’t be able to hear me.

Love,
Dad

Dear Dad, 

    I think I’d better explain why my headphones are so important to me.

    I was trying to study for an important test last week, but you and Mom were making a lot of noise. Headphones to the rescue! Research shows that music helps people focus on their work, and that’s definitely true for me.

    But I’m not always listening to music—I also listen to audiobooks. Sometimes I can understand my reading assignments better this way—in fact, I think that’s why my English grade has improved this year.

    And one last thing: How big of a Drake fan are you? Without my headphones, you’d hear a lot of him! Is that really what you want?

    I can promise to go without my headphones at dinnertime, but I can’t agree to keep them off all the time—they’re just too useful to me. 

Love,
Ty