It's good that you're able to go on walks without headphones, and we probably are too aurally stimulated as a society, but the Sony Walkman came out in 1979. You're applauding yourself for not falling prey to a mode of distraction that has been around since your twenties.
It has less to do with the availability of portable audio tech and more to do with the insane amount of media people feel compelled to consume.
Back then, if you rocked a Walkman, you carried 1 tape (about 60 minutes of music) that you listened to on repeat all day. That's very different from today's never ending stream of new media. A more interesting discussion would be about how we interact with media today vs back then.
That was way different. Finding a specific album from a specific band that you like and engaging with it is much different than being plugged into a nonstop 24/7 flood. People are listening to podcasts, audiobooks, or algorithm derived playlists.
Binge watching a reality dating show is not the same as intentionally watching a documentary about a subject you are interested in. The medium is not the key factor there.
It isn’t about the specific mode of distraction, but that most people can’t go without it for any length of time. The ability to just “be bored” and allow your thoughts and observations of things around you to ebb and flow, without some sort of instant gratification, is a skill or discipline that is eroded by content stimulation. In the same way the discipline of a balanced healthy diet is eroded by empty calories and super caloric food that messes with your reward centers. If I say I am the only one that can avoid grabbing a donut when they are brought into the office, it isn’t about donuts specifically but an illustration of the broader problem with food.
