I was thinking of upgrading the speakers for the TV in living room and one for the PC, but the children keep saying wireless earphones this or Bluetooth earbuds that. Those feel a little too individual. Maybe I'm worrying about not having enough time spent together.
Do you think there's a way to tempt the children to look my way?
Wayne Parham Messages: 19064 Registered: January 2001
Illuminati (33rd Degree)
I personally hate earbuds. My kids like 'em but I think that's largely so they can listen to their devices instead of what's being played in the car, or to be able to listen to music while in class or at work. So I kind of get that.
People have different tastes in music; that's okay. It's not good for their ears to wear those earbuds for so long on top of not interacting with the rest of the family. Even if they want to hear their own music, speakers will get them much better sound quality than earbuds can provide anyway. I get that it's convenient, though.
I personally hate earbuds. My kids like 'em but I think that's largely so they can listen to their devices instead of what's being played in the car, or to be able to listen to music while in class or at work. So I kind of get that.
This is the trend that we have today with kids now wanting earpuds instead of big speakers. I still believe that speakers can compete even with the technological advancement that we have now.
Wayne Parham Messages: 19064 Registered: January 2001
Illuminati (33rd Degree)
For me, loudspeakers are just more natural. Headphones sometimes sound great, but are still unnatural sounding to me. I've always guessed that it's 'cause I can see that I'm in a room, so my brain "expects" the room to filter the sound. Maybe people that love headphones are less sensitive to this than me, or maybe they close their eyes.
And earbuds are even more unattractive to me. They don't sound right and they don't feel right. But my kids love 'em. So maybe it's kind of a generational thing, I dunno.
Wayne Parham wrote on Tue, 30 September 2025 12:06
For me, loudspeakers are just more natural. Headphones sometimes sound great, but are still unnatural sounding to me. I've always guessed that it's 'cause I can see that I'm in a room, so my brain "expects" the room to filter the sound. Maybe people that love headphones are less sensitive to this than me, or maybe they close their eyes.
And earbuds are even more unattractive to me. They don't sound right and they don't feel right. But my kids love 'em. So maybe it's kind of a generational thing, I dunno.
It is more of a generational thing where kids nowadays would want a bit of privacy when it comes to what they are listening to. This is why you see them buying more headphones, earbuds and AirPods for their use even when it is related to playing music in the house. I don't get it, but it is obvious that they are more comfortable with such.
I personally hate earbuds. My kids like 'em but I think that's largely so they can listen to their devices instead of what's being played in the car, or to be able to listen to music while in class or at work. So I kind of get that.
I never hated earbuds but the reason why speakers are good for the family is that you can just put songs and stay anywhere around the house and still hear the sounds and beats too. Earbuds are when I want to watch movies or listen to personal songs.
I personally hate earbuds. My kids like 'em but I think that's largely so they can listen to their devices instead of what's being played in the car, or to be able to listen to music while in class or at work. So I kind of get that.
I never hated earbuds but the reason why speakers are good for the family is that you can just put songs and stay anywhere around the house and still hear the sounds and beats too. Earbuds are when I want to watch movies or listen to personal songs.
One can't even compare both. Speakers are simply on a different level because they serve a different purpose than what you use earpuds for just like you said.
Rusty Messages: 1435 Registered: May 2018 Location: Kansas City Missouri
Illuminati (3rd Degree)
Being older I find them a statement on our society and culture. I have no desire to wear earbuds or earphones. I go to a university gym to do my geezer workout and virtually all the young students there have their ears plugged up with these things. No one talks to one another and inbetween sets on the weight machines they're riveted into their smartphones.
To me this generation doesn't socialize as much as stay in their personal artificial environment. I speculate on whether or not that will have unforeseeable implications in the future.
When I went to a YMCA to do my ritual I refer to, "trying to keep the grim reaper playing solitaire". There were many other mature types like me that liked to commiserate with one another.
I just wonder about this isolation the younger generation prefer.