For my recent flight experience, I owe much gratitude to the ill-mannered display of a fellow passenger. This was an older man, perhaps in his mid-fifties, his head lightly graced by hair, who ensconced himself comfortably in his golf-like loungewear. He pulled out his smartphone and started to indulge himself in the sonic reverberations of his music, sans headphones. At first, it was ignorable – after all, we’ve all been the accidental party playing an unintended soundtrack in a public sphere – but it persevered. The peace of the plane was disrupted by the loud tunes of AC/DC, courtesy of the seemingly respectable silver fox.
The typecast of the unruly noise polluter is often a youngster decked in outdated attire, like a baseball cap worn in reverse, bombarding the world with Britney Spears’ hits from their mobile and miscellaneous knick-knacks such as slingshots making a cameo from their rear pocket. Even the label ‘millennial’ might be tossed around, even though the majority of this grouping are now in their 40s. Luckily, our mature AC/DC enthusiast resets this narrative, shedding light on the reality that the habit of playing loud music in shared spaces crosses generational lines. Thus, we can all broadcast our annoyance without the fear of resembling a disgruntled old-timer hoarding the neighbour’s ball each time it finds its way into their backyard.
It’s surprising how one can be encased in a bubble, oblivious to daily aberrations. Every day, countless individuals climb onto public transportation, forgoing the use of headphones whilst consuming videos of amateur dancers strutting their moves to Dua Lipa on TikTok, or indulging in the loudest episodes of Game of Thrones. Even 70-something hard-rock enthusiasts from the lands Down Under can break the tranquillity of a flight. Yet, one would struggle to find a single person who is not perturbed by these public displays of auditory disregard. It’s as if public urination on trains had become acceptable and people generally decide to overlook the offender’s actions. Arguments like ‘What’s wrong? I’m not lighting up a cigarette!’ might even be made.
What we’re witnessing here is a systemic shift in social normative behaviour where private noises have begun invading our public spaces.
To be honest, there used to be a similar situation when smoking was allowed on public transport, like the 46A bus. The term ‘ghetto blaster’ might not be politically correct to use nowadays, but it does paint a perfect picture of a time when such devices were used to belt out hip hop music. I recall roaming the streets of New York in 1988, never quite escaping the clanging tunes that highlighted the impassioned fury in Public Enemy’s Rebel Without a Pause. (I wouldn’t have wanted to be without it.) One could argue that people have been responsible for public noise since the days when people would play their radios loudly at the beach, back in Engelbert Humperdinck’s prime.
The situations don’t compare exactly. The blaring music from a ‘ghetto blaster’ was a sort of personal enjoyment but also appeared to be a kind of peaceful disruption. If not, then it was a statement of your musical preferences and perspective to those around you. The fact that everyone else could hear Rebel Without a Pause – or Smells Like Teen Spirit or Killing in the Name – was a intended, not a side effect. It was a way to draw attention to oneself.
This doesn’t necessarily mean that such noise was any less irritating than it is today, but it definitely defines it as a distinct phenomenon. What we’re witnessing now is a quiet renegotiation of public spaces to accommodate what was previously considered private noise. It wasn’t too long ago that we were annoyed by people talking too loudly on their mobile phones. These days, we’re used to hearing both sides of a conversation projected through speakerphone. Social norms have been broken down in no time.
[ It seems that Gen Z and millennials are now adopting mature drinking habits, whilst their parents appear to be drinking more like teenagers. ]
Indeed, the escalation truly began, around a decade ago, when first-rate internet became accessible on the go. However, one might postulate that the situation deteriorated when mobile phones started to come without a headphone port. Suddenly, the onus was on purchasing and maintaining minuscule Bluetooth earphones. One also has the daunting task of keeping safe the equally small adapter for traditional headsets. No earpieces? Let “Highway to Hell” echo throughout the vicinity then.
Studies suggest that this unabashed broadcasting has amplified our self-loathing even further compared to before. A 2022 survey by Ofcom, the British broadcasting overseer, disclosed that approximately 46% of the population viewed videos audibly in public spaces. Surprisingly, about 80% of people in the study found this habit irritating. This indicates a significant intersection of individuals who despise the public streaming of TikToks but perpetrate it nevertheless. This dichotomy distinguishes us from wild creatures. And it contributes to our propensity for inventing novel ways to remain discontent.