I personally also take them out. But don’t see it as rude or disrespectful if others don’t.
Especially with AirPods gaining hearing aid functionality, it shouldn’t be a sign of lack of focus.
As an aside, I personally able to concentrate _more_ in certain scenarios when I am fiddling or have background noise playing. It quiets the part of my brain that otherwise gets distracted. I use that method for video conferences to increase the amount I am focused on the speaker and content.
Especially with AirPods gaining hearing aid functionality, it shouldn’t be a sign of lack of focus.
As an aside, I personally able to concentrate _more_ in certain scenarios when I am fiddling or have background noise playing. It quiets the part of my brain that otherwise gets distracted. I use that method for video conferences to increase the amount I am focused on the speaker and content.