For some people, wearing headphones in the office is a way to block out chatter and get work done. For others, they are big “do not disturb’’ signs on their coworkers’ ears that make it harder to share ideas.

As companies do away with offices and lower cubicle walls to create a more collaborative - and noisy - environment, more employees are popping in earbuds or clamping on noise-canceling headsets. Frequent users swear by them as a way to increase concentration, but earphones can also promote isolation, underscoring a growing debate on whether plugging in to your own personal soundtrack increases productivity or undermines communication.

“Would you interrupt a guy who’s pushing a large piece of wood through a saw? Headphones are the engineer’s way of saying, ‘I’m in the middle of sawing something here,’ ’’ said Brian Kelly, 35, vice president at the Tewksbury software firm TimeTrade Systems, where engineers receive three things on their first day of work: a laptop, 27-inch monitor, and noise-cancelling headphones. “The only downside is the look of sheer horror when I put my hand on their shoulder and tell them I want to talk to them.’’

Elaine Varelas, managing partner at the Boston career management firm Keystone Partners, said headphones can discourage employees from connecting with co-workers.

“It’s counterproductive,’’ she said. “It’s been proven that those informal relationships and informal interactions make for stronger teams. And stronger teams make for higher productivity and higher morale.’’

But earphone advocates say shutting out distractions allows workers to get more done. A study from Loughborough University in England found it takes people an average of 64 seconds to recover their train of thought after an interruption by e-mail, and interruptions from co-workers can have a similar effect.