Recent complaints on Reddit and around the internet give a new name to a common traveller annoyance and fears of fast wifi onboard are growing the concern.
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Speaker Scum: Travelers That Don’t Use Headphones
A considerate traveler uses earbuds on a plane, ensuring others aren’t involuntarily listening to their music. Many flyers wish all passengers extended the same courtesy, because those who don’t have now earned a notorious nickname: “speaker scum.” This term has popped up in fiery social media discussions, with frustrated passengers venting about people who play music, movies or videos out loud without headphones . It’s the latest addition to the pantheon of obnoxious traveler behaviors – right alongside “gate lice” (passengers crowding the boarding area) and seat recline battles. The consensus across Twitter, Reddit, and travel blogs is clear: failing to use headphones in a crowded airplane is on the rise and seems to be getting worse.
The speaker scum phenomenon is more than a minor annoyance; it’s pervasive enough to spark debates on forums and catch media attention. One exasperated flyer recounted enduring a 6.5-hour red-eye seated next to a passenger who blasted a movie with no earbuds, nonstop . Others describe fellow travelers FaceTiming family on speaker or kids playing iPad games with cartoon sounds jingling through the cabin. To this point, just JetBlue and Spirit have had the bandwidth to consistently support video calls.
Such antics have many asking, “In what world is this ok?” After all, an airplane is a tin can at 35,000 feet – there’s no escape from someone’s blaring TikTok reels or Netflix binges. Complaints have piled up so much that even flight attendants and airlines are taking note, reminding everyone that common courtesy isn’t so common these days. United has added a note to their pre-departure announcements.
Faster WiFi Could Make Matters Worse
The rise of faster, more accessible in-flight WiFi might unintentionally turn this bad habit into an epidemic. With airlines rolling out high-speed connections and even free WiFi for all on many flights , passengers can stream to their heart’s content. Great news for your productivity and entertainment – terrible news if you’re seated near a loudmouth. Social media users are already dreading what the future could – but does not yet – hold.
“I’m all for the upcoming free WiFi,” one traveler quipped, “but dreading everyone streaming, on calls, blasting music.” – Fox News
In the past, limited bandwidth or paywalls kept a lid on excessive audio/video usage aloft. Now, with Delta and JetBlue offering free, fast streaming WiFi on most routes, and other carriers not far behind, the floodgates are open. United began fitting E175s with Starlink satellite WiFi, and depending on its ability to keep up with the speed of the traveling aircraft could deliver speeds that rival those on the ground.
Further, T-Mobile has also partnered with Starlink as well and during the Super Bowl, invited AT&T and Verizon customers to connect to the service free of charge for a few months to try it out. Those not putting their phones in airplane mode *may* be able to receive and place calls as they would on the ground.
Solutions On The Way?
So, what’s being done to curb the scourge of speaker scum? Fortunately, both airlines and polite passengers are stepping up with solutions (some official, some creative). Airline policies already universally require headphone use for personal devices – for example, United’s onboard magazine explicitly stated “All devices must be used with the sound off or with headphones at all times.” Most carriers include similar language in their contracts of carriage or inflight announcements. But like every other onboard nuisance, enforcement is key.
Flight attendants are empowered to enforce these rules. If you encounter a wild speaker-phone enthusiast in the next row, you’re well within your rights to flag a crew member. Some flyers have shared their own proactive tactics too. One traveler said, “I keep several of the free airline headsets in my bag. Offering them to someone doing this usually gets the point across,” effectively a polite hint.
Airlines are also making it easier for forgetful folks to do the right thing. Free earbuds are often available on board if you ask – United Airlines even advertises this as a “traveler pro tip” on its website, noting that if you forgot yours, just request a pair from the crew. By removing the “I have no headphones” excuse, airlines hope to preempt some of these problems. Looking ahead, we might see even stronger measures: perhaps clear “no speaker” symbols on seat-back cards or harsher responses to repeat offenders. Until then, your best bet as a passenger is to travel with good noise-canceling headphones (to drown out any rogue noise) and a dose of patience.
Conclusion
Between social media shaming and explicit airline announcements, hopefully more travelers will get the hint: wear headphones. At the end of the day, it boils down to empathy and etiquette – recognizing that your mid-flight entertainment shouldn’t become everyone else’s problem. Air travel is a communal experience where a little courtesy goes a long way. While I find the term low brow, so is listening to your music without headphones in public. Maybe it’s earned.
What do you think?
“While I find the term low brow” .
Nonsense . The term is not low brow .
Totally agree. The potential for many devices with loud loudspeakers, all trying to overcome the background noise of a plane, other speakers, and phone/video calls on a plane is too terrible to contemplate. Yes common manners seems to be a thing of the past. Unfortunately noise cancelling headphones will only be partially helpful as they are designed to cancel out “noise” as in the white noise background “wind rush” of a plane, and let through speech and “unexpected” noise. Hopefully companies like Bose are working on portable “all sounds” cancelling headphones. I once brought a pair of passive “Thunder muffs” on a plane trip – they were effective, though bulky.
It’s ridiculous how often this happens. People in general seem to be losing basic common sense and decorum. I call the FA immediately to deal with the offender. Children should not be exempt from this either.
Unfortunately, free airline earbuds are no longer a solution, since most of the phone manufacturers have removed the headphone jacks years ago.
Usually fathersless people doing these things.