Age filtration system

[pne]

(via sonjaaa)

A while ago, there was a report about a gadget that's supposed to repel teenagers, for example to discourage them from loitering around malls. It does this by emitting a high-pitched sound: one that young people can hear but those above 20 or so typically cannot (since the highest frequency you can hear diminishes as you age).

Now apparently, some teens have used this to their advantage by turning the sound into a ringtone, so they can receive calls and texts in class without their teacher's hearing it.

A sample of the sound, dubbed "Mosquito" or "Teen Buzz", can be found at http://www.bbc.co.uk/wiltshire/audio/mosquito_sound.mp3. See if you can hear it, or whether you just hear the background noise!

I couldn't hear it though my computer's speakers, but I could through headphones -- a kind of high-pitched noise which I couldn't describe further; I'm 31. sonjaaa reports that An 18-year-old friend described it as an annoying squeal that is loud enough to make her cover her ears. How would you describe it (and how old are you)? And can you usually hear television sets making a similar noise (say, when they're on standby, or when you're far enough away or the volume is turned down far enough that you don't hear the program that's currently playing)?

Comments

[lexabear.livejournal.com]

I'd call it a pulsing shrill noise. It certainly was annoying. I'm 22.

[rozallin.livejournal.com]

I couldn't hear the sound without headphones. When I listened to it with headphones on, it sounded like a high-pitched pulsating sound, but I didn't find it annoying or that loud. I'm 20 (and have been to too many metal concerts without ear protection).

[elgrande.livejournal.com]

A high-pitched mosquito sound. I don't think it's that terrible. I've heard more distinct high-pitched sounds before that older people can't here. (For example, at school the teachers often forgot to switch off the TV set after watching a movie and just put it on stand-by. The sound was really irritating.)

I'm 21.

[nyssa.livejournal.com]

I...couldn't hear it at all, and I've got very good hearing normally.

I'm 18.

[volantwish]

High pitched pulsing noise.

I'm 20, but I also have fairly sensitive ears. (Our TV at home emitted a similar noise when it was on, and I could hear it from two floors up.)

[bride.livejournal.com]

31 and I could hear it without headphones. It's like a very very high-pitched cricket. It's not a mosquito sound. Mosquitos are a steady buzz.

[bride.livejournal.com]

And looking at some of the other comments, I should also say that I, too, have always been able to hear TVs that look off, but are actually on. And I can hear them from another floor.

I honestly don't think it's the age that determines whether someone can hear these things. If it is, it certainly isn't a teen-adult cutoff, at least. I thought the age where you stop being able to hear noises in the upper range was much older (like 60 or 80 or something)... ie. without damage to the ears.

[nyssa.livejournal.com]

ETA: I CAN hear televisions that are turned all the way down. I just couldn't hear the sound in the MP3. Weird.

Whine

[emilyzilch.livejournal.com]

I'm 31, and it was a high-pitched whine that made me want to cover my ears.

[(Anonymous)]

I couldn't hear it, neither via speaker nor headphones. But I don't hear TVs on standby either. I can hear these things that are in cars to repel martens, though. I'm 30.

Hubby heard it, he suddenly covered his ears and looked like in pain... He's 31, so I don't think it's an age thing... And he can hear muted TVs too, also from other rooms.

[schnurble.livejournal.com]

Oops, that was me, forgetting to log in

[nyssa.livejournal.com]

Interestingly enough, I did some snooping around, and found some similar sound files that I could hear:

http://ia301125.us.archive.org/0/items/15kHz_tone/15kHz_audacity.wav

But apparently my ability to hear it stops right around there, because I couldn't hear the 17.5 or 20 khz ones.

[angelsk.livejournal.com]

I can hear it at 24 with computer speakers. but then I've always been able to hear the tv on standby. the electrical type buzz noise. i can usually tell if any device is switched on that way. and i thought i had bad hearing.

[missysedai.livejournal.com]

Ernie called it a loud, wavy, ringing sound. He's 10.

I can't hear it. I'm a little short of 36.

[tungol.livejournal.com]

I turned the volume on my computer up all the way, and at first I didn't think I could hear it, but towards the end I noticed it as a faint sound, and could hear it faintly when I played it again. As others have said, a high-pitched pulsing sound. I'm 23. And I haven't noticed televisions making a similar noise.

[nondescript.livejournal.com]

At first, my computer's speakers were at low volume. I could hear a very faint chirping noise, but it got on my nerves anyway. Then, I put on headphones and turned the volume all the way up. There was so much background noise from my speakers that I wasn't bothered by the faint chirping noise. Then I listened to it at full volume without speakers, and there was still too much background noise for the faint chirping noise to annoy me.

I guess my senses are clearest when there's low volume because I really have to concentrate. That, and my speakers are cheap pieces of crap. :)

I'm 21, 19 days shy of 22.

[allegrox.livejournal.com]

Twenty-one, and I can hear it. Over my sterio it sounds like a shill chirpy sound (the same with my laptop's built-in speakers), but with headphones it sounds more constant, pulsing instead of going on and off.
If it were much louder, I think it would hurt.

[denial-land.livejournal.com]

chirping of a cricket, slightly pulsating. Speakers, no headphones.
22.

[uon.livejournal.com]

I could hear it through speakers and headphones. I could hear the 15kHz tone nyssa posted above as well, a bit better with speakers, but possibly because I was using crap headphones.

I'm 27, and go clubbing often enough that I wear ear protection (http://www.etymotic.com/ephp/er20.aspx) when doing so.

[angiwyn.livejournal.com]

I'm 25, and I could hear it though my computer's speakers. Though at first I wasn't sure if what I heard was the tone, or just residue from my neighbor's weed-wacker. So I tried with my headphones and I was able to hear it much clearer, and at a lower volume. It wasn't a particularly pleasant noise, but nothing too annoying. I used to hear the same thing from my TV in my apartment, but when I moved the TV stopped making it (room location maybe?). I've also heard the same sort of high-pitched frequency occasionally from radio stations, my fan, and my play station 2.

Oh, I thought I would add, interestingly enough the noise seemed to attract a couple of my house cats while both of the dogs ignored it.

[sparkofcreation.livejournal.com]

Gareth and I are both not-quite-28, and I could hear it and he can't. He says that he thinks that women can normally hear higher-pitched sounds than men because women have shorter ear canals. Make of that what you will.

[ladyortyger.livejournal.com]

Not sure if what i hear in the posted file is the intended noise.. I had to concentrate a lot to hear it. A sort of pulsating sound, like others have said above - if a tv is on in the background.


The 15khz file Nyssa posted is an extremely painful shrill sound. Gah. *shudders*

and for comparison, I'm about 22.

[allegrox.livejournal.com]

Also, my hearing has always been fairly sensitive. I hear televisions and fluorescent lights squealing (I just had to turn my light off). I have an ethernet hub that squeals loudly when it's on, but my mom was unable to hear it.

[clarkcox3.livejournal.com]

I'm 25, and can clearly hear it. The tone is a repeating one with the same rhythm as a heartbeat, but extremely high pitched (think metal scraping against other metal, or fingernails on a chalkboard)

[clarkcox3.livejournal.com]

Oh, and yes, I can hear on-standby TVs

[clarkcox3.livejournal.com]

Do you have links to the other tones?

[nyssa.livejournal.com]

I found them here:

http://architectures.danlockton.co.uk/?p=72

[nyssa.livejournal.com]

I might add, since I'm back in this thread anyway, that I can only hear the 15 khz one when I'm moving my head. If I stay still, I can't hear it at all after a second or so. I guess I'm just going deaf early.

[boyzici.livejournal.com]

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boyzici

[fledchen.livejournal.com]

Couldn't hear it with my speakers, but I suspect my speakers simply can't handle that frequency. I could definitely hear it with my headphones. It's a pulsing sound, similar to some kinds of tinnitus I've experienced. I can also hear TVs and some computer monitors (my computer monitor, fortunately, doesn't make this sound). I can occasionally hear fluorescent lights. I am 24.

[fledchen.livejournal.com]

Here's another one, from National Public Radio:

Teens Turn 'Repeller' into Adult-Proof Ringtone
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5459251

[fledchen.livejournal.com]

Forgot to mention that I can't hear this one.

[boyzici.livejournal.com]

I am 26 and could not hear a high pitched noise with either speakers or headphones :s

(passing by!)

[fukuniji.livejournal.com]

Couldn't hear the .mp3 file you linked, but I could hear(felt it more than heard it) the 15kHz and 17.5kHz ones that nyssa linked, and they're very painful. I'm 15.

I can't hear television sets on standby, though.

[sovereigna.livejournal.com]

Ouch. It pulsates, my head felt like it would explode if it was on for too long.. but I normally hear a lot of things which other people don't hear. I hear electronic devices if they're on standby, I hear electric devices and when I was staying with friends for a few months in Sydney I had to turn everything (my tv, dvd player, computer, monitor etc) off at night because the noise gave me a headache and I needed the off time to sleep. I often hear electrical sounds where I'm "what is that sound it's giving me a headache?!?" and everyone's else is "what sound?"

I'm 26.

mosquito

[(Anonymous)]

Being a teacher I found this very interesting. I'm 37 and actually could hear it loud and clear. I would describe it as a high pitched repeating pulse. I guess I'm lucky. The kids trying to sneak messages in my classroom however, will not be so lucky. :)

I guess wearing ear plugs to indoor rock shows when I was younger has paid off!

heard it, 45, man

[(Anonymous)]

I'm a 45 year old man, and I could hear it, but not that well, unless I leaned into my speakers. Of course, my speakers are built into my laptop, and I couldn't hear the background noise, laugh etc. that much better. I used to cringe when my mom took me by the mall jewelry store from their alarm system when I was a kid, and it sounded like that, only pulsing. I might not notice it if I were a teacher in a classroom, or it might just be at the edge of my perception where I wouldn't connect it with a phone ring.

Pretty sneaky. You kids nowadays...