A student walks through the gates of SCHS and pulls an AirPod case out from their back pocket. Placing one in their ear, they walk down the hallway. They open Spotify and shuffle-play their favorite playlist to distract themselves from the noisy high school morning.
To their left, a student with pink Bose headphones walks by. To their right, a student with the glistening new AirPods Max headphones strolls into class. Right in front of their eyes, someone with wired earbuds taps the wire to adjust the volume. The student looks around to see everyone with something in their ears, even their teacher.
At SCHS, students and staff have various listening preferences for a multitude of reasons.
Sophomore Siena Zylstra prefers wireless Apple AirPods for their convenience. She enjoys their compact size and finds them easy to use on the go.
“They’re easier to put in your pocket and easier to take if you want to go somewhere really quick. You don’t have to carry something really heavy,” Zylstra said.
Art and digital media teacher Ara Tanajian has discovered minor issues with his Skullcandy wireless earbuds. Despite their affordability, he believes their design lacks the battery life and volume buttons of most headphones.
“The battery doesn’t seem to be staying charged very long, so they might be getting old,” Tanajian said. “I go biking with them, and sometimes I’m afraid of them falling out. There’s no real buttons on earbuds either.”
Senior Samii Valdevinos also uses AirPods for their comfortability but still appreciates headphones for their stylish appearance. While she has changed her preferences over time, she sees the value in both listening devices.
“I had headphones first. I got them at Justice – a store for tweens – back in elementary school. They were sparkly, very aesthetic looking, really girly,” Valdevinos said. “I did notice that the sides of my ears hurt, so I had to let them go.”
Despite the popularity of wireless earbuds and headphones, wired earbuds are still used by many. Valdevinos believes they are less popular for their inconvenience and lack of cleanliness in everyday life.
“They’re messy, they go everywhere, they get tangled up and they get very dirty,” Valdevinos said.
Beyond his use of the Skullcandy wireless earbuds, Tanajian has JBL headphones and does not find many issues with wired earbuds compared to Valdevinos. Consequently, he finds the untangling a minor issue and appreciates the volume buttons on the cord.
“The wires don’t bother me very much. You don’t have to worry about charging them. You can control it through your phone,” Tanajian said. “Honestly, they’re about equal in a lot of ways. You just have to untangle them sometimes.”
Math teacher Bill Cheney connects his Google Pixel Buds to his Google Pixel and appreciates how easy they are to transport and charge. He enjoys wireless earbuds for how easy they are to exercise with them in, as he does not have to worry about his cord getting snagged or tangled.
“Bluetooth is convenient because I can put my phone down, and it’s easier for working out. To have my phone sitting there and not have to carry it with me as I’m working out is nice,” Cheney said.
Despite being an owner of both headphones and earbuds, Tanajian still finds issues with the universal design of most headphones. Their large size, long headband and wide ear coverings can become inconvenient, despite their improved functionality.
“I really don’t like headphones. They’re just bulkier, but they work nice and have better sound in some ways,” Tanajian said.
While Zylstra prefers AirPods over headphones, she is interested in buying the Bose headphones for an immersive listening experience during her independent time. As a student-athlete on track, she uses her Airpods to get through the day, accomplish her goals and feel her best.
“Airpods keep me happy, motivated and engaged throughout the day. And then over time, I have thought headphones might be better to listen to music if you’re trying to get in tune with what the music is saying,” Zylstra said. “Headphones, in my opinion, are better if you’re trying to listen to music when there’s nothing else going on.”