Comment by tremere

No, I think it's fine and honestly I can understand the need to compulsively use AirPods especially among the anxiety prone. Forcing people to endure the noise of the world, which is increasingly inorganic and terrifying, just because you insist on them listening to you in a subservient manner, is very strange and the sort of insistence I would expect only from narcissists. I personally wear my AirPods Pro at all times when in public because it makes it that much easier to tolerate it. I have transparency mode on so I can still listen to you, probably better than without AirPods.

If the person is listening to you and responding just fine, then the AirPods are not a problem. If the person is obviously distracted then you have cause to ask them to take them off. Simple as.