AirPods: Many of us have them, many of us (hate to admit that we) want them, yet nobody seems to be aware of the damage they entail.

These sleek, wireless, white earbuds are the big go-to for teenagers today, mostly because they’re modern and allow us to listen to music on the go which, let’s admit it, seems to be all the time.

When they first came out, I thought that $160 was an outrageous price to pay and that I would never pay that much money when I could just use my old, wired earbuds. The more I thought about it, however, the more I realized how convenient they are, especially in their small box that makes the most pleasing click sound you’ll ever hear.

Here were are, four months later, and as I’m writing this article, my AirPods are sitting comfortably in my ears.

Shocking, I know.

Ever since my mom gifted me my beloved AirPods, I’ve found myself plugging myself in and tuning the world out as often as I can: during my free periods when I could be connecting with my classmates, while doing homework which should be quiet for studying, in the car when I usually talk with my mom, and, once in a while, in class where I should be giving my full attention.

This makes me wonder: why is it that we feel so drawn to these earbuds? After all, they are just earbuds. How come people wear them while transitioning between classes? What makes us think we look “cool” when we leave the case on our desks during class?

The modern design of AirPods is a huge attraction because it allows us to remove one side of the earbud and share our passion for music with friends. Just as our parents used to pass notes in class, we get our fun from sharing our music with friends.

We live in a world that’s constantly connected to the Internet. Even when we aren’t occupied with Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook or YouTube, we want to be consumed with some sort of media to block out the rest of the world. Is our world really that awful of a place?

AirPods have certainly increased the amount of time we spend blocking out the rest of the world. But it’s up to you if that’s for the better or worse.

Happy listening.

Opinion articles written by staff members represent their personal views. The opinions expressed do not necessarily represent WSPN as a publication.