That means they’re not for your ears. Not that they’re designed to inflict pain. I’ve had those AirPods, they were fine for me - and my ears don’t like most earbuds that get shoved in there, and sometimes even start hurting from over-ear headphones. I now have the Airpod Pros and they’re even better, all that goes into your ear is the silicone bud, no rigid plastic in the mix.