While walking down the hallways of EGRHS, you are bound to see several people walking down the halls with their headphones in. Although some people find no issue with this, I see a problem.

In a study conducted by Stanford University, it was found that listening to music helps engage the areas of your brain involved in paying attention. Many teachers allow students to listen to music using earbuds while working on classwork or homework, and I don’t see a problem with this.

I like listening to music while doing my work. It helps me focus on my work and block out the other noises in the classroom. While listening to music can help you pay attention while doing work in class, is it still acceptable to be listening to music once you leave the classroom?

The problem for me is when students keep their headphones in once they leave the class. Some people find wearing headphones in the halls as a way to decompress from a stressful hour, but it’s a bigger issue. Using headphones in the hallway is antisocial and causes people not to talk to each other in the halls anymore. They plug in their headphones and block out everyone else. Some people put in headphones for the sole reason that they don’t want to socialize with anyone; they use headphones as a way to show that they don’t want to talk to anyone. You can even find people putting their heads down to avoid eye contact with others in the hall.

The use of headphones in the hallways is part of an overall trend of people being more antisocial at EGR. People will sit in their cars before school instead of going into class and socializing.

Social media and technology may have an influence on this. In a study conducted to a photo-sharing application known as FlashGap, it was found that 87 percent of teenagers admitted that they had missed out on conversation throughout the day due to their cell phone.

People need to take out their headphones when walking down the hall, and start talking to people in the halls. Admittedly listening to music can help you de-stress and focus during class. The five minute passing period, however, is supposed to let you get to your next class and allow you to talk to your friends on the way; it is not for listening to music.