In today’s society, you cannot go anywhere without seeing people with their headphones or AirPods in; from young children to young adults. It seems that everyone thrives on music to survive in this digital era, they listen to music during school and work hours, at home, at the store, in the car, everywhere. Music is like a pacifier to us as a race now; specific melodies and lyrics getting stuck in our heads, certain songs describing emotions perfectly in ways nothing else could. Music is an essential everyday item in the lives of many people; everyone listens to music without even realizing it.

Teenagers are the age group that comes to numerous people’s minds when someone mentions headphones, music, or anything technologically advanced. There’s a misconception about teenagers, that they listen to heavy rock songs, or are always so engrossed within their virtual lives. What many do not consider is that listening to music is a coping mechanism to not just teenagers, but to young adults and children as well; the music stimulates the brain, and your brain unconsciously memorizes the chorus (the “catchy” part) of a song; which is why you remember bits of song without actually knowing them.

Aside from music being a coping mechanism to people, it’s also used as a way to “block out” unnecessary noises when one is trying to work on homework, projects, or study. The reason many kids today have their headphones in while they are in a classroom is not that they want to ignore the teacher; they want to ignore the constant complaints and yells of their fellow classmates an attempt to focus on their designated tasks for a class. Music motivates people to work more efficiently; if a person is listening to a calming melody, it benefits them while studying, if a person listens to a more upbeat song, it helps them work at a quicker pace.

When you see people with headphones in, they might not be listening to music at all; they could be listening to a podcast or talking to a coworker. An onlooker will never know whether a person with headphones is listening to a song or talking on the phone. They don’t always listen to music when their headphones are in their ears. Teenagers are not the only ones who listen to music, and they don’t use headphones as a way to ignore others; it is different from person to person in today’s digital age.