Fashion is just as much about the accessories as it is the main outfit, and one of the hottest accessories for Generation Z is undoubtedly Apple AirPods. Launched first in 2016 and bringing $14.5 billion in revenue for Apple in 2022, this accessory has exploded in popularity — in fact, it’s estimated that over a third of Americans own AirPods. With the prevalence of AirPods, users have developed different ways to sport them, including the “single AirPod.” Below, Jackson B. ’25 and Rohan D. ’25 passionately debate the pros and cons of this growing trend.

It’s Time to Face the Music About the Single Airpod

Editor-In-Chief Jackson B. ’25

There is an epidemic at Lakeside. It has spread like wildfire, and it threatens to tear the very fabric of our community apart. I am referring, of course, to the single AirPod.

Its prominence is unmatched: whether you are walking between classes, finding a seat in the library, or chatting with friends, it is near impossible to evade the scourge of one ear “innocently” occupied by a wireless earbud, the other plain and naked. It is hard not to wonder about the reasoning behind this choice. Is the listener trying to stay attuned to what is around them? Are they signaling that they do not want to be bothered? Is this even sending a message or a question of convenience? The inherent indecision — to listen or not to listen — strikes at the heart of what is so wrong about the single AirPod: it is fundamentally disingenuous.

There is a reassuring clarity to the “extremes” of an AirPod. Having both in communicates that you would prefer whatever you are listening to and do not want to be bothered. To have none in is to invite the outside world in. Both of these are perfectly fine states of being.

Perhaps more concerning is the persistent mystery of the single AirPod once you inevitably do approach someone. Just the other day, I was in the library talking with a fellow senior when, lo and behold, I came to find that our entire conversation was complemented in her left ear by Sabrina Carpenter. This is not an isolated incident, either: Even at Lakeside, I cannot count the number of times I have encountered someone with an AirPod in during a conversation, assembly, or class.

Some would fairly argue that so long as the quality of a tête-à-tête does not suffer because of a single AirPod’s music, it should not matter. I challenge the notion, though, that a single AirPod will not invariably affect an exchange. Technically a conversation, with or without music, could be the same in terms of information exchanged. However, the innate disrespect of continuing to listen to music while someone is talking to you degrades the connection (and thus quality) of any single AirPod interaction, regardless of how good the offender thinks they are at multitasking.

Furthermore, I also reject the idea that you can keep a single AirPod in to “send a message.” Not only have I already touched on the doubt that underlies a single AirPod, but the fact of the matter is that if someone wants you gone, they should just say it — they should not have to passively rely on a little piece of Apple technology in their ear to do so.

Alternatively, when you use two AirPods and are approached by someone else, taking one out automatically pauses the music. Conversely, when you are using no AirPods, there is no possibility of self-created distraction. Either way, using both or no AirPods promotes attentive, genuine social relations.

I will concede that there are times when a single AirPod is appropriate. For instance, I would readily support you and another friend using one apiece to listen to the same thing. However, I worry generally that AirPods and the availability of portable music have made us more insular. We (Generation Z) own AirPods and other noise-canceling/deafening devices at a much higher rate than any other generation, and we seem to have a growing willingness to sequester ourselves while in public to the comfort of our own music rather than interact with the world around us.

That is not to say that there are not times for your AirPods, nor that they will spell the doom of human socialization: after all, the Sony Walkman (the pioneer of portable music) came out 45 years ago. But when you do use your AirPods, for the sake of your communication and connection with others, opt against using just one.

Let the Music Go On: In Defense of the Single AirPod

STEM Editor Rohan D. ’25

The single AirPod is a tool that is the best of both worlds: blissfulness and vigilance. It prevents a descent into madness by way of throbbing silence whilst walking or running. And yet its sound is not so all-encompassing as to distract me from those phenomena that I should be attuned to. In my opinion, using one AirPod when performing menial tasks (or no tasks at all) is, at worst, no different than playing stereo music when you’re driving, an act I’m positive most would not take offense to. In fact, I think there is a compelling case that the “single AirPod” is significantly less dangerous than playing music on the road — after all, when wearing one on the move, you’re not in control of a 2-ton steel behemoth.

But onto a more stinging critique: that the single AirPod sends mixed signals. It simply doesn’t. I admit it does send two different signals in two different cases, but they are easy to distinguish: the cases of motion and rest. 

In motion, there is no reason someone should be blasting music through two AirPods — imagine walking around unable to hear anything quieter than 90 dBs. Suffice it to say, you’ll be running into several people and objects real quick, eliciting several frowns and “excuse you’s”. Hearing is our brain’s first indication of an outside stimulus — it tells us where to point our eyes and focus our attention. 

Now that we’ve established no one should wear two AirPods in motion, it becomes clear that the singular AirPod sends a clear, albeit harsh, message in this first case: don’t bother me right now. Why this message might need to be broadcasted is not terribly relevant — it could be for myriad reasons ranging from a need to focus to a desire to sulk in solitude. But it is undeniable that the single AirPod is a fantastic way of conveying it — especially because almost every other way of sending that same message would require you to be bothered by someone else in the first place.

In our second case — the one at rest — the single AirPod is undeniably an invitation. Why, you might ask? Well, we need only consider the two alternatives. If you have both AirPods in, it is abundantly clear that you’re at work and wish not to be bothered. And I contend that one can infer a student who has no listening devices wishes to be bothered even less. Take a walk around the library and look for those procrastinators (myself included) that are not listening to any music whatsoever: chances are they have an essay or a problem set due in 20 minutes and are finishing it at breakneck pace or praying for some sort of miracle. The single AirPod, therefore, connotes a state of being wherein one is doing something yet would not mind some social connection — the reason for this is quite simple: it is the possibility that remains when all other possibilities, that of zero or two AirPods, have been eliminated. 

Of course, the single AirPod trend is not perfect. I will concede that wearing an AirPod — or anything that impedes your listening — while someone else is speaking is disrespectful. No one should be trying to tune out their teachers or an assembly speaker with music. But, despite what older generations might say about us teenagers, I still seldom see any of us trying to silence our teachers over silencing our phones.

The question of whether to keep an AirPod in whilst having a quick conversation is a much trickier one to answer. If the other person is droning on and you have a schedule to keep, then by all means, keep it in — one would hope they get the message. If, however, you want to have a meaningful conversation, take it out. Like pretty much any social situation, the choice is up to you. Don’t think too hard about it and don’t read too much into it.

To accuse a modern invention or trend of triggering periods of insularity and pandemics of loneliness seems to have become a favorite pastime around the world. Oftentimes, those fears are overblown but well-founded. Changes will naturally have negative side-effects; however, we must balance those against the positives. The single AirPod is a unique trend, one that is necessary at times but whose implications change dramatically based on the context. A trend born out of a desire to provide more clarity in our busy world. Armed with a single AirPod, we improve our ability to ward off unwanted distractions while we’re busy, leaving us with more time to enjoy the company of others at our most vibrant: without distraction from surround-sound or impending assignments.