Earbuds at Work: Generational Difference or Bad Form?

In the debate about whether listening to music with headphones or earbuds at work is a good idea, people’s opinions tend to fall into generational categories.

Graphic Designer Dana, in her mid-20s, likes to wear just one earbud. She says, “Listening to music helps me to zone in on what I’m doing,” and keeping one ear free allows her to hear what is going on around her. When asked how she responds if she sees that someone else has an earbud in, Dana says, “I’m afraid I’m interrupting.”

Nicole, another graphic designer, and Navid, who is a sales support specialist, both in their early 30s, agree with Dana that music can help with concentration. Nicole says, “It depends on the project, but music can be very helpful.” Navid adds, “It also depends on the music. I think that you can concentrate on work if you listen to classical or instrumental music as opposed to music with words.”

Yael, a department director in her early 40s, understands the benefits of listening to music and says it is okay with her as long as people remain aware of their surroundings. “However,” she adds, “if you’re sitting there with headphones on, you’re projecting distance and unapproachability.”

Martha, a content specialist in her mid-40s, is uncomfortable with people wearing earbuds at work, unless they don’t need to be aware of what’s around them. “They miss the sort of details you learn by hearing discussions on different projects. They miss learning about the culture of an organization.”

In Workers, Take Off Your Headphones, Anne Kreamer at the Harvard Business Review Blog Network, agrees with Martha:

It's just that kind of loss of daily osmotic information exchange and collaborative bonding that ought to concern 21st century employees and employers. It's about information exchange, resource exchange, idea generation and on and on. If an employee is glued to her desk with headphones on, immersed in music and G-chatting with her best buddy, she is missing the opportunity to create relationships with people on the job who might be launching a project for which she'd be perfect, or who's kicking around the idea to launch a new firm that needs precisely her talents. It's a huge and real loss in terms of career development. Martha adds, “One of my main concerns about this is that if everyone or most people wear earbuds most of the time, that may lead to a heads-down, low-communication environment. I think this is an important thing for management to consider.”

I’m in my mid-50s and I think it’s fine that co-workers wear earbuds and listen to music—but I do find it annoying and rude if they don’t pull them out immediately when a colleague approaches.

Jo, a department director in her 60s, says, “I worry that they can’t hear the phone or what’s going on around them. Can they really multitask? I can’t. I guess it’s a generational thing.”

Is it a generational thing? Does your opinion fit your age group? Does your organization have an “earbud policy”? Let us know.

By Wendy Caster

Wendy Caster is senior writer at Harris, Rothenberg International. She wishes she could sometimes listen to music at work, but she can’t write with music on.