Keep it down, will ya?

Keep it down, will ya?
Busy roads, malls, campuses, cinema halls — everywhere, social noise is on the rise

The Times of India


IT’S not just at the heavy duty night spots that you have to scream to be heard by your companion; noise levels at malls and coffee shops, too, have now reached levels where it’s impossible to have a conversation without shouting.

Studies in the US by a newage hearing aid company have shown that social noise has tripled since the 1980s and that most people with perfect hearing struggle on a regular basis to have conversations in public places. It is this that has prompted companies to make hearing aids for normal people.

Offices are getting noisier too, what with the constant ringing of one mobile or another and people always talking loudly on their phones. “Even if one is gossiping at the water cooler or the office canteen, there’s a lot of noise,” says marketing manager Deepak V. “Nobody’s whispering for sure. They don’t have to either. There’s so much noise, even the next cubicle will not hear what you’re saying.” Increasing traffic sounds are a major contributing factor to the high noise levels. “Salesmen in car showrooms sell ACs saying you can drive with the windows rolled up and cut out the outside noise,” says Karuna Samuel. College campuses too are shedding their once quiet air. Today’s colleges are a bustle of activity, not only during breaks but round the clock. “There’s always some event or cultural activity on, all of which creates a lot of noise,” says final year student Raju Mathais. “Sometimes it’s impossible to hear myself teach with all the commotion outside,” says Samuel Jacob, a lecturer.

Movie halls, which were once ever so silent, are now filled with the sound of ringing phones and chatter, especially during the matinee and noon shows. “Saturdays are the worst. There’s constant chatter. I always go to the late show on a week night and only after the movie is a week old. That’s the only way one can take in anything,” says movie buff Bhavana Chandrashekar. Picnic spots too are noisy hubs on weekends. “Bannerghatta on weekends is noisier than Cubbon Park,” says Alfred Jeyaraj.

“We live in a time where people want to be heard. The noise is only going to increase,” he adds.

NOISE LEVELS ARE HIGHEST AT...

• All the malls
• SJP Road
• Koramangala
• Brigade Road
• Shivajinagar
• Kammanahalli Road
• Navrang Circle
• Commercial Street
• JC Road
• Gandhinagar
• City Railway Station
• Sections of Church Street after 10 pm