I CAN sit alone with my thoughts. I self-stimulate. Perhaps I am one of the last people left who can do so.

Why we can’t sit alone with our thoughts anymore
A survey shows Americans listen to nearly four hours of audio a day. There are good reasons to take breaks and be comfortable with silence, experts say.
April 19, 2026 at 5:00 a.m. EDTToday at 5:00 a.m. EDT


(The Washington Post illustration)
By Jenny Singer
At Franklin High School in Portland, Oregon, students are required to seal their phones in special pouches at the beginning of the school day. But headphones and earbuds don’t fit in the pouches.
“Technically, AirPods and stuff aren’t allowed, but people use them a lot anyway, especially because they can hide them with their hair,” says junior Easton Atlansky, 17, who has noticed many students using AirPods or headphones between classes.
“I think part of it is, we grew up on technology all the time. Especially because of covid, we’re really used to having constant stimulation from TikTok and YouTube,” Atlansky says. “I think we like to think that we’re totally in control of ourselves and can stop whenever we want, but we are human, and it’s altering our brain chemistry to a certain degree.”