A silly article, assuming earbud and headphone wearers always listen to something. Living in NYC, outside sound can be deafening. Many times I've walked to work with my (corded) earbuds in and nothing playing just as a buffer. But my over-ear cans are even more stealthy in that they include a mic that can pipe in outside noise. On the subway I can eavesdrop on convos in my midst whilst appearing to be listening to music. Not that I condone such behavior! https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/aug/09/the-hill-i-will-die-on-earphones-music-humanity-headphones