No, Your AirPods Aren’t Like Mini-Microwaves In Your Ears — Despite What Those Viral Instagram Videos Claim

Like most people who are trying to decompress after a long day, I recently found myself scrolling Instagram one night when a reel shared by a fashion influencer stopped me mid-scroll. It was an emotionally charged video about the supposed dangers of AirPods — and since I, like many journalists, wear some type of headphones for hours every day, I clicked.

The video, which has racked up nearly 500,000 views, follows a classic viral social media post formula: It starts with a surprising or inflammatory assertion, followed by a presentation of supporting statements to buoy the claim.

In the short video, an influencer who labels themselves a “natural-minded mama” says she has never used AirPods, but if you do wear them to watch the ensuing video, which features an unnamed man doing a presentation on the alleged risks.

“Stop wearing your AirPods. It truly is like wearing a mini microwave centimeters from your brain,” the man opens with, while putting a large microwave on the head of a woman... a demonstration obviously rife with sensationalism for added shock value.

And it works — it’s a great hook, and I was ready to learn more.

“Yes, the same frequency in this AirPod is the same frequency in a microwave. Specifically because it’s a bioactive frequency, 2.4GHz, it’s the most efficient and effective frequency to heat up your food. So when you have these mini microwaves in your head, it can have the same effect on your brain, tissues, and organs,” the man, who does not share his credentials, states.

He continues by using a meter to show the frequency of AirPods and shuts down FCC reports that the levels are not the same as those of a microwave.

“I’ve seen this thing spike at a thousand microwatts per meter squared. That means it can, in the literature, heat biological tissue. With that knowledge, it’s now up to you whether you want to use these mini microwaves and if it’s worth the risk,” he says, followed by using screenshots of unmarked scientific papers to show “strong correlations” to brain tumors, brain fog, ADHD, and Alzheimer’s, and other neurodegenerative conditions. “So if I owned AirPods, not only would I be livid and sharing this video with everyone, I’d throw them out and switch them out for a pair of wired headphones or ones with air tubes.”

Yikes, I thought to myself, removing my AirPods from my ears.

After watching the video, I had two options: take it for a fact, toss out my AirPods, and share widely with my friends and family — or take the time to figure out if what was being presented was backed by science, supported by professionals, or being used to further something else entirely.

For curious minds, the comment section is a mixed bag. But since I’m a journalist at heart, I chose the latter and started my deep dive with Dr. Nicholas Jordan, an associate research professor at the University of Michigan’s Nuclear Engineering and Radiological Sciences College.

What the Science Actually Says

Jordan explains that it’s first important to understand that most of what the man in the video is saying is accurate, but the conclusions he draws are incorrect, particularly when it comes to using frequencies for comparison, which is what makes this so tricky.

“Frequency is a red herring,” Jordan tells Scary Mommy, adding that the real difference lies in power. “He makes it sound like it's a lot by calling it microwatts, when it's actually an incredibly small amount of power, or power density.”

Jordan points to a comment on that video that does “a pretty great job" of explaining the power conundrum and why it’s so important to understand this critical difference.

“He says 1000 microWatts to make it sound like a lot when it's actually 1 milliwatt/m2. The leakage limit of a microwave is 50 W/m2, which is 50,000 times higher than what he measured. A microwave can put out 1,200 watts, (which is) 1,200,000 times stronger than the signal from the Bluetooth headphones,” the comment reads. “The signal strength from a BT headphone will heat skin, but at a level that isn't even perceptible and wouldn't make it pass the epidermis with any significant level of strength.”

So, do AirPods operate on the same frequency as microwaves? Yes — and so do cell phones, and hearing aids, and....

“It’s non-ionizing radiation,” Jordan says. “If Bluetooth AirPods were a problem, then your cell phone would be the same problem.”

A Neurosurgeon’s Take

With a better understanding of the science, I turned to board-certified neurosurgeon Dr. Betsy Grunch to gain insight into how AirPods affect our brains. Is wearing them really the same thing as putting a microwave in my ear?

“It's not even remotely the same, and it totally is a scare tactic,” Grunch tells Scary Mommy. “Bluetooth headphones don't emit radiation that can damage your DNA. That is just something that's not emitted through Bluetooth devices, and there is no evidence to suggest that this low-level radio frequency radiation causes any harm to humans.”

The Atlanta-based doctor notes that devices like AirPods undergo rigorous testing and clearance before being allowed for human use, and the FDA states that non-ionizing radiation from Bluetooth headphones does not have sufficient energy to cause DNA damage or cancer.

Bottom line? Putting AirPods in your ears is not the same as putting your head in a microwave. But Grunch — who boasts a social following of more than three million and is known online as @LadySpineDoc — also has a pretty good understanding of what it takes to make medicine-based videos go viral.

“I think that these people like to get likes and views and clicks, and (the idea of putting a microwave on your brain) is something that seems scary,” Grunch explains of using scare tactics for shock value. “And if you don't understand the science behind it, it can be very scary, (because) you don't know the difference. I think it’s important to get accurate information and not necessarily believe everything that you see on the internet.”

Why These Scare Tactics Go So Viral

How is it that these videos, then, which aren’t rooted in science or supported by professionals in their field, get so much traction? It’s simple, according to New York City neuropsychologist Dr. Sanam Hafeez: a concept called confirmation bias.

“People tend to look for information that backs up what they already believe and to brush off anything that doesn’t fit,” explains Hafeez, who says it’s not something most of us do on purpose.“It’s more like a shortcut the brain takes to make sense of things quickly. This can feel reassuring because it helps us feel more certain about our opinions, but it also limits how much we’re willing to consider other viewpoints.”

Hafeez says that online, this gets amplified.

“Social media platforms and search engines are designed to show us more of what we already interact with, which makes it easier to get stuck seeing only one side of an issue. Over time, that can close us off from important information and make us more vulnerable to being misled,” she says.

More — when something circulates widely, people often assume it must be credible or important simply because so many others are engaging with it.

“Our brains are inclined to confuse popularity with legitimacy. When misleading content is paired with stirring visuals or music, it can provoke intense emotional reactions, such as fear, sympathy, or anger that cause people to accept false ideas before they've had a chance to question them,” Hafeez says. “These responses often lead to deeply held impressions that persist even after the original claim is corrected. Over time, this kind of exposure can distort how people see the world, heighten anxiety, and contribute to social and ideological division. The sheer speed at which misinformation spreads makes it difficult for critical thinking to catch up, and that’s when lasting psychological damage can set in.”

So my big takeaway? AirPods aren’t damaging our brains, but misinformation might be.