Teens Using Ring Tones Adults Can't Hear

[Roon]

Teens are taking their ingenuity to a new level by installing a ring tone with a high-frequency buzz that most adults can't hear so they can use their phones to text-message in classrooms, according to reports in England.

Known as "Teen Buzz," it is spread from phone to phone via text message and Bluetooth technology, the Daily Mail said.

The sound was being used in a device called the Mosquito, which was marketed to help store owners in England repel teenagers from loitering outside their shops.

The high-pitch sound is irritating for teenagers but most adults can't hear it because over the age of 20, most adults are unable to hear that frequency (between 18 to 20 kHz), according to Mosquito manufacturer Compound Security. It is based on the medical phenomenon known as presbycusis, or age-related hearing loss, Compound Security said
http://www.thedenverchannel.com/irresistible/9280899/detail.html

Can YOU hear it? I couldn't, but I wear hearing aids. Let me know if you can hear it and how old you are. http://www.thedenverchannel.com/download/2006/0526/9281132.mp3

[WritingIsMyReligion]

1. Uggggh....I can DEFINITELY hear it.

It is SO damned annoying.

x( x( x( x(

I'm 14, btw. :D

[Zing Zing Zingbah]

57. Terrible sound, both my husband (28) and I (27) can hear it. n/t

[redqueen]

145. 36, didnt' hear a thing

Wow

[matcom]

2. 36 can't hear a thing

:shrug:

[yewberry]

Didn't hear a thing.

Yes, I only have the speaker that came on the computer, but I heard nothing.

(I'm mid-30s.)

[LeftyMom]

3. ick

Yeah, it's an awful high pitched whining.

I'm 25.

[seemunkee]

4. 49 can't hear it

No surprise, damaged my ears from years of woodworking without protection

[ghostsofgiants]

5. I'm 21 and I can hear it...

And if I DID hear it in a classroom, I'd be kicked out pretty quickly because I would punch whoever was responsible. x(

[giant_robot]

6. 41 and can't hear it. n/t

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

122. Ditto and ditto -nt

[Fox Mulder]

7. I hate that sound!

I hear it whenever I go into the electronics section at the store! Ugh!

I'm 24, btw.

[LaurenG]

8. Very high pitched ring

not a buzz and it made my forehead, right between my eyes hurt. I'm 50.

[Lavender Brown]

9. I can't even hear out of one ear and I heard it fine

:shrug:

[LaraMN]

10. I'm 28 and I can hear it. It's very annoying.

:crazy:

[Bossy Monkey]

11. Just turned 44 yesterday and I heard it fine

though I suspect the younger folk who found it enraging heard it better.

[Deja Q]

12. I an hear it. And it is VERY stressful on the eardrums, be careful.

Maybe the twerps' telephones need to be confiscated except for lunch and break periods?

Not that all kids do it, but as a taxpayer who supports public schooling, it's fair to expect Fred and Judie sending messages back and forth about what they want to do on Friday Night behind their parents backs... :evilgrin:

[ContraBass Black]

13. I'm 21, and I can hear it, but it took me a moment to notice

And by then, I had turned it up to above speaking volume.

Now my eyes are watering. CRT whine drives me insane, by the way.

My whole head is ringing.

I hope I didn't just hurt myself.


EDIT: All of a sudden, the sound of my hard drive spinning is insufferable. Where are my earplugs?

[GirlinContempt]

14. I can hear it

in my mid-20s

[XemaSab]

15. 28, nope

[xmas74]

16. I can hear it.

It's kinda like an electronic whine or something. Even worse, it makes my eardrums vibrate almost painfully. My six year old had a harder time hearing it than I did.

BTW-I'll be 32 in December.

[Fox Mulder]

17. Now I got a headache from that sound.

x(

:nopity:

[Ellen Forradalom]

18. No, thank goodness

The sound of my dog whining is bad enough.

[MiniMandaRuth]

19. Owowowow....

Jesus that hurts mah ears. Ow! And I'm 14.

My dad, 47, can't hear it, even with his ear up right next to the speaker!

I had my fingers in my ears!

[Xipe Totec]

20. 50 and I can hear it; It's not necessarily your ears

If you have cheesy speakers you won't hear anything because the speakers themselves can't generate sound in this upper range.

I can hear it on headphones, but I can't hear it over the desktop speakers.

Though, granted, it is a faint sound to me.

[AmericanaAustraliana]

74. Right - painfully clear on my good headphones, very faint on another pair,

inaudible on my old speakers.

Hurts my eardrums. My girlfriend felt it travel to the top of her skull!

(34)

[uppityperson]

21. 50s, bilat hearing aids, can hear it without them.

not as annoying as my ultrasonic pest repeller machine though.

[TallahasseeGrannie]

22. Nada, zilch, nothing

but I'm not surprised. When a computer monitor in my lab is whining the kids hear it but I don't.

[fleabert]

23. can't hear it- 32 nt

[SmokingJacket]

24. Weird, I couldn't hear it, but it hurt my ears!

Does that make any sense at all? Maybe I just have a vivid imagination. My kids could hear it.

I'm almost 38 and I thought I had pretty excellent hearing... boohoo.... I'm old...

[radwriter0555]

25. I heard it, I'm 45 and have lost my ability to hear low range sounds.

Apparently I can hear high range sounds still.

Interesting!

[gollygee]

26. I can't hear it but my daughter said she can

husband can't hear it either.

[Scooter24]

27. I can hear it. I'm 26.

[personman]

28. 25, can barely hear it.

almost sounds like just a hiss, but there is a really high tone in there I can just BARELY hear.

I'm using a surround sound system though, and I have to turn it up a bit (not screaming but louder then regular speaking volume)

[supernova]

29. I can hear it and I'm 43 almost 44

It sounds like an itty bitty band saw. Ewww.

Even if I can hear it, I don't want it as a ringtone. :P

It didn't hurt but it definitely is irritating.

[Blue_Tires]

30. 29...i hear it

and now i NEVER want to hear it again!!! fuck that!

[Fleshdancer]

31. 29...don't hear it

pretty cool :D

[psychopomp]

32. in thirties, hear it loud and clear

I destroyed my ears from years of shows, walkmans and music listening so that I have trouble hearing another person if there is background noise, but other than that my hearing is pretty good.

[alphafemale]

33. I can hear it. I'm 41. nt

[ChoralScholar]

34. I had a kid using one of those mosquito things in my classroom

and making smartass comments like "what is THAT?!? can you hear that?"

I can hear it, and it pissed me off. It is now in 1000 pieces in my trash can. Using my hammer on it was very satisfying.

[ghostsofgiants]

68. ...

:patriot:

[AngryAmish]

35. This has all the earmarks of an urban legend

The ringer on cell phones are very low quality. I doubt they have the ability to play tones that are on the very high edge of human hearing.

If I am right everyone has to buy me pizza and beer.

I can't hear that sound on my crappy computer speakers which I also doubt can get that high. I am 37 and spent a lot of time watchng bands in my youth. I have trouble hearing conversations in crowded rooms.

[gollygee]

41. That 's what my husband said

but when he asked our daughter (4) what it sounded like she made a high squeeky noise.

I can't hear it.

[trogdor]

136. Depends on what the speaker is made of.

Making a tweeter the size of a nickel is a piece of cake these days. Making a woofer that size is impossible.

[DeposeTheBoyKing]

36. I'm 43 and I can't hear it

Maybe that's a good thing.

[Lefty48197]

37. I heard about a store keeper who wanted to keep the teens from hanging out

in front of his store, so he started piping that sound through speakers out by the front door. Only the kids heard it, and they stopped hanging around.

[ContraBass Black]

63. Doesn't that damage the hearing of the people who can't hear it

And work there all day?

[Lefty48197]

95. I believe he put the speakers outside the building

so I don't know if people inside could hear it or not.

[FlippyDoo]

38. I'm 41

and I heard a deep humming sound.

[KyndCulture]

39. 39 and DAYUM, yes I could hear i

and my cat wigged the fuck out.

[peacebuzzard]

40. my dogs just went wild.....me: nada....age: 53

[Orsino]

48. LOL Same here!

Early forties, and I can't hear a damned thing. Sadie the ACD is still barking, minutes later. :rofl:

[Dangerously Amused]

70. Couldn't hear a thing with the volume on high, and my dog...

...who usually has excellent hearing and is asleep at my feet, didn't twitch a muscle. So I woke her up and played it and again, no reaction.


I think it's an NSA PsyOps trick.


BUT THEN....


Okay, on edit: I did what someone else did and tried it with headphones instead of just my laptop speakers, and then I could hear it. It was annoying for the first second or two, but the funny thing is that the longer I listened to it, the more it seems I couldn't hear it. But if I paused the sound and then played it again, I could definitely hear it.

[Dangerously Amused]

72. HEY! ALL YOU WHO COULDN'T HEAR IT AND THINK YOU ARE GOING DEAF!

Oh... sorry. Anyway, see my post above and try it again with headphones. Maybe you will hear it after all and can live in denial about your age for a few more years.


:7

[Elidor]

42. At the ripe old age of 40, I can still hear it, though it's faint n/t

[crispini]

43. I could hear a faint hiss. I'm 37

[CrownPrinceBandar]

44. 38 and I can hear it.........

very annoying.

[Godhumor]

45. Turn 30 in July

I hear it without any problem, but I also didn't find it annoying. So yay, I still hear fine, but I'm worried that there is something wrong with my pain reception. Go Me!

[WillParkinson]

46. 42 and 45

And we both found it damned annoying in just that short clip.

[Beware the Beast Man]

47. 32. I could hear it. Very irritating.

[Arger68]

49. 38 - I could hear it when I turned the speaker directly

toward my ear. OUCH!!!

[Ava]

50. ok, i'm 15 yet i can't hear thing!

:shrug:

maybe my maturity has something to do with that! :P :rofl:

[otherlander]

51. 16, and my ears were kinda ringing.

But if i hadn't been listening, i wouldn't have noticed.

"The sound was being used in a device called the Mosquito, which was marketed to help store owners in England repel teenagers from loitering outside their shops."

Grrrr.....:mad: That's evil.

[Ava]

52. same here

sounded sort of like the hum of a tv, but it was low enough that i wouldn't have noticed it normally.

[wain]

53. I didn't, but my speakers did!

I have my PCs connected to my stereo components and when I turned the volume up I heard a couple speakers crackle in protest. (They're okay).

:)

[lakemonster11]

54. I can hear it.

It's an awful high-pitched whine. I'm 24.

[laheina]

55. 30 and can definitely hear it.

And it hurt. :(

[RoyGBiv]

56. Ouch ...

I couldn't hear anything, but now I have a headache after playing the file several times.

36

[Mutley]

58. Never heard of it...

:P

I'm 26 and I could hear it just fine. A little too well, actually. Ow.

[Gidney N Cloyd]

59. 49 - Heard it but had to up the volume.

and my lab and I went running around the yard a bit.

[steely]

62. Ditto on age and V

it was constant - if it wasn't, then I'm hearing things I reckon

[kedrys]

60. 44, and even though I'm not sure I heard it, it made my teeth wiggle

ugh.

[qnr]

61. Yeah, I can hear it - quite annoying (48) n/t

[KatyaR]

64. I heard it and I'm 2 weeks short of 49.

I had to turn my audio all the way up--taking it down even to 75% knocked it out for me.

What a weird concept.

[Hippo_Tron]

65. 19, I can hear it

Guess it is true, then.

[Rue]

66. 24, can hear AND feel it in my ears

Bleah. What an annoying noise. I couldn't hear it after the first second, but I felt it in my ear canals. It was still vibrating them!

But I can't help but admire the kids' ingenuity. I think if kids are this intent on keeping their privacy, we'll be in good hands :)

[TheHelplessLlama]

67. 18, I can hear it

On my dad's speakers it's faint, but I can hear it... on my own it's so obnoxious that it almost hurts.

I don't really know how to describe what I'm hearing. It's almost like a policeman's whistle coming from several blocks away. You can tell it's high pitched, but it's very quiet.

[Spacemom]

69. I can hear it, I'm 34

very irritating sound.

[Terry in Austin]

71. Closely-calculated frequency

Had to check this on some audio software (geek alert!).

The tone is right at 18,000 Hz. I couldn't hear it -- hey, I'm 59.
Lowering it by one quarter tone, though (to 17480 Hz), I could make out sort of a hiss.
Lowering it one semi-tone, to 16,990 Hz, and I could definitely hear a tone. Ugh.

What they did, apparently, was find the top of adult hearing range accurately enough to where they only had to raise the frequency by 3%. I'd love to read the grant application that started that bit of research!

[grateful581]

73. I could barley hear it and it did not bother me

but my co worker heard it and he says it was horrible. It really bugged the hell out of him
I'm 26
my co-worker is 25

[politicat]

75. Barely. It's just in the edge of my range.

Annoying sound, though.

On edit: I'm 30. Mr. P can't hear it, but his hearing got broken by the Army... He was the smart side of artillery. (Play it LOUD, okay?)

[Strangefire]

76. I'm 26. Can't hear it. (nt)

[Blue-Jay]

77. 39. I heard it loud & clear.

I wonder what that means?

[Zookeeper]

78. I couldn't hear it, but that could be because ...

at the moment I have three teens and a tween running around the house, the dog is chasing one of the cats and Mr. Z. is loading the dishwasher.


My hearing is usually quite acute.

[Brigid]

79. Nope, can't hear it. I'm 48.

Plus, my hearing never has been very good. I had lots of ear infections when I was a child, and am almost deaf in one ear.

[rucky]

80. 35 and nothing...but the dog sure heard it. n/t

[EstimatedProphet]

81. I can just hear it-I'm 43

[texas1928]

82. I can't but I have had a high pitch ring in my ears since...

I got shot.

[Brigid]

83. Interesting.

More than one person has pointed out that it might be the computer speakers unable to pick up the sound. My computer is a rather elderly laptop, so I'm sure the speakers in it are not very good. Plus, neither of my two cats reacted to it, and several people have said their pets did. Too bad this computer doesn't have a headphone jack (at least not that I can find.

[Call Me Wesley]

84. I'm 40 and I have dog ears still. So I do hear it.

Highly annoying. Might give somebody a headache in the long run.

[zanne]

85. I can "feel" it more than hear it.

I must be 16 at heart because I think the whole idea is just hilarious!

[Cannikin]

86. Once I realized my volume was down....I could hear it easily

and I'm 32....I mean, 29.

[Ravenseye]

87. 33 - I can hear it

I can definately hear it.

Ingenious though. I believe the children are our future...

[bedpanartist]

88. 38 and its loud and clear

and plenty annoying.

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

89. 23...can hear it only if I put my ear directly up to the speaker.

I listen to lots of loud music though.

[Hotler]

90. 51 here and that ain't no buzz. It'll take the rest...

of the day for the hair on my arms to lay down.

[Canadian Socialist]

91. I can hear it

and I'm 50. It's sort of a buzzing/humming sound. The cats were not impressed, btw. heeee.

[dolo amber]

92. I didn't hear it, but I felt pressure in my head (39)

Whatever that means. :shrug:

[boston bean]

93. 38 and I can hear it! nt

[NJ Democrats]

94. I'm 14 and I can hear it

My sister is 12 she can too but my dad- 46- can't.

[Roon]

96. This has been a very interesting experiment

Thanks to all who are participating!!

[Odin2005]

97. I could hear it very well, I'm 20.

Sounds like a mosquito buzing around your ear.

[vixengrl]

98. I could hear it-I'm 33

but I think it might be one of those "vague" sounds where you have to know what it is to place it--you could just be convinced your ears were temporarily ringing. It is kind of annoying.

[huskerlaw]

99. Holy crap!

Ouch! Yes, could definitely hear it...it made my eyes water.

I'm 27.

On edit...tested it out on the cats and they didn't seem to care. Both sniffed at the headphones, but neither reacted negatively.

[RandomKoolzip]

100. 31 years old. I can hear it. I like it!

It sounds like the music of the Incapacitants, an infamous Japanese noise band. Imagine that noise, amplified, and extended for ten minutes at a time, and you'll have their sound.

Also, it reminds me of the sound I've found on several of my deteriorated bootleg tapes of the Grateful Dead, a sound that results from degraded oxide on the tape wearing off. Deadheads call it "striction," for whatever reason.

Anyways: Good stuff. :thumbsup:

[newcriminal]

101. Hear it? I can't even see the link.

[newcriminal]

102. Hear it? I can't even see the link.

[Lumily]

103. I'm 37, and I couldn't hear a thing.

My seven year old daughter heard it. She said it sounded like "high ringly bells." Her words. My 37 year old husband, couldn't hear it either.

[Reverend_Smitty]

104. I'm 22 and I could hear it...

but I really had to crank my speakers up to hear it though

[Evergreen Emerald]

105. Neither me nor my 16 year-old could hear it...

...perhaps it is our speakers.

[Haole Girl]

106. Ouch

I can hear it, and I am 43. But, I've always heard the buzzing on escalators, when others couldn't, so it doesn't surprise me. That really hurt, by the way.

[nytemare]

107. 34, that is surely irritating.

:hi:

[Betty88]

108. 41 could not hear it

[mrbassman03]

109. There is no way a cell phone speaker can reproduce those frequencies...

Also, by the responses to this thread, it is obvious that people over 20 can hear the frequency.

[Roon]

117. No doubt

I was very curious if this was true. Although it seems that there are a lot of adults who couldn't hear it, there are a lot that could!! The ringtone has to be bunk science.

[Lady Effingbroke]

110. I'm 36 and I heard it, although probably not as well as younger people.

x(

[blondeatlast]

111. Couldn't hear it, 40-ish. nt

[Maine-ah]

112. 32 I can hear it.

[TexasLady]

113. 42 could definitely hear it but daughter couldnt...

shes hearing impaired however.

[Bucky]

114. 42½ & I hear it faintly if I cock my head toward the speaker.

But it doesn't quite bother me. If I crank the speakers full on I can hear its feedback, I think. Doesn't seem useful for a cell phone to me.

Also, all my wine glasses are shattering in the kitchen now.

[arwalden]

128. Heh-heh-heh...

... you said "cock". :silly: :hi:

[Dying Eagle]

115. 25, i can hear it clear as day. n/t

[AlienGirl]

116. That isn't a buzz, it's a screech!

It sounds a lot like the way the RFID security things at the front of stores sound--very annoying. (I'm 33.)

Tucker

[TrogL]

118. That's not 18,000 hz.

That barely above 2000.

Be that as it may, I had my hearing tested and I can hear 20,000 hz. just fine. I'm 50.

[NewWaveChick1981]

119. I'm 43, and I can hear it very well.

I've always been able to hear very high frequencies, like the high-pitched tone emitted from tv sets and alarm systems. My mother used to tell me I had the hearing of a dog! :) Those high-pitched tones feel like they're piercing my brain...

[Maestro]

120. 38 years young and I heard it.

Irritating.

[Placebo]

121. I'm 19 and I can't hear a thing!

Maybe I shouldn't be listening to my iPod at full volume or standing next to the speakers @ concerts anymore.

[Poll_Blind]

123. I'm 33 and can hear it all too well. Didn't think I would either...

It almost hurts my ears- no, it mildly hurts my ears to hear it. If any kid is using this as a ring tone, ghod, that would get annoying real quick.

PB

[The_Warmth]

124. I'm 19...

and I can hear it fine, and I like my (sex, drugs &) rock & roll.

[ET Awful]

125. 36 and I can hear it. n/t`

[Eugene]

126. I'm 43 and I can hear it with the volume turned up.

An irritating high pitched ringing.

I could not hear a thing at normal volume.

[bleedingheart]

127. 37 and heard it just fine...

[realisticphish]

129. 20, I can hear it

sounds like an amplified version of the slight sound you hear when you turn on a television (before actual sound comes out)

[ellie]

130. I am 41 and I couldn't hear

it at all.

[entanglement]

131. Owww!

[Brewman_Jax]

132. Heard it thru' the headphones at age 43

not a nice sound. x(

[anarch]

133. I can't hear it...but then again the firewall at my job blocked that link

so that might have something to do with it. Judging from the other responses, I don't think I want to hear it anyway.

[B3Nut]

134. Barely hear it, 35

18K is just out of my usable range, I usually top out at 17K. I used to go past 20K a bit, but I was younger then.

Just when it was becoming audible I stressed the output stage and power supply in my 1969 Harman-Kardon Three Thirty receiver I use as my PC amp in my office, 60Hz hum became audible, so I backed the gain off to avoid killing it. I might try this at home with my 'phones, they're flat up to 25K or so.

Todd in Beerbratistan, audio geek

[XNASA]

135. Huh?

[Roon]

137. You can't hear it?!?!

[XNASA]

141. Hear what?

[Roon]

143. I can't hear it either

[XNASA]

147. Your cat inherits ether??????

What's that supposed to mean? :crazy:

[nickinSTL]

138. uh, yeah...I can hear it...

I'm 33...and it's annoying...but - I might not notice it from the front of a classroom.

edited to add: I heard it on headphones...I'm at work, so no speakers.

[TimeChaser]

139. Ow!

I'm 19, and I've always been sensitive to sounds that have a very high or very low pitch.

For assholes who like to drive around with the windows down and the bass blasting: that fucking hurts x(

[Patiod]

140. Oh great, another "what makes you feel old" thread

Can't hear a damned thing

[Samurai_Writer]

142. I couldn't hear it

I'm 45. Damn, I'm old.

[ceile]

144. Annoying! I'm 30 n/t

[bluethruandthru]

146. That's amazing!

I'm 47 and I can't hear squat...but I heard that! It felt like an arrow going through my head!

[Poll_Blind]

154. That's a good description of it...beyond piercing! n/t

PB

[Dr Fate]

148. 33- cant hear a thing. Neat-o. n/t

n/t

[MadHound]

149. Yeah, I can hear the damn noise,

And now I've a headache from it. By the by, I'm forty five, and am particularly sensetive to high end noises. There are a number of CRT screens that drive me nuts, especially older ones, due to their high pitched whine. And sirens cause me physical pain, I understand perfectly why dogs howl when the fire trucks go by.

[CC]

150. I can hear it and

never want to hear it again. Speakers on lowest setting too. 46 and not only heard it but been 15 minutes or so and my ears, head still feel weird.

[ChickMagic]

151. Ow, ow, ow!

52 and loud and clear!!!

[tjwash]

152. 50 something and can't hear it.

Good for me.

[One_Life_To_Give]

153. 44 Loud and Clear

[RevolutionaryActs]

155. I can hear it.

What an obnoxious high pitched ring. I'm 20 btw.

[njdemocrat106]

156. I only was able to hear it after turning up the volume full blast

I listened through headphones, and yowch, that hurt my brain! I'm 25, BTW.

[DBoon]

157. I'm 50 and I can hear it

the high-pitched shriek, right?

[Lord Binky]

158. How odd

I can't really hear it, but I noticed that when I turn my speakers up with it playing my ears start to kind of ring. Annoying as hell.

I'm 21, by the way.

[mdmc]

159. 35 can't hear it

:cry: