I believe we wouldn't have a tenth of the chaos we are currently experiencing if people talked to their neighbors and fellow commuters more.

With or without headphones, people aren't just chatting around on the subway all the time. I love my headphones and I also chat with my neighbours.

This is just the same argument that has been repeated since the dawn of the walkman.

50 years ago when people weren't looking at their iPhones on the bus, they were reading the newspaper or a book. Not a lot has changed.

What chaos are you referring to? What do you mean by "chaos"?