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Wednesday Jun 21, 2006
Scream now if you're still young
There's been a bunch of stories circulating the past few months about a high-pitched noise which is only audible to young(er) people. Companies started experimenting with idea of using this sound as a youth-deterrent.A local shop in Britain was first off the mark, playing the sound as a way of keeping 'hoodies' from congregating outside the store. Swindon Council got in on the act and blasted it through speaker systems in the city centre. Crawley Council has joined in while one company even claims to supply a home-system based on this idea; you can use it to keep unruly teenagers from hanging out near your home.
But now the tide has turned, due to the coming-together of ruthless marketing executives and teenagers with naturally mischievous temperaments. As the story goes, some kids decided the 'mosquito' noise, as it has been dubbed, would make for a perfect ringtone - they would be the only ones that hear it so they could have their phones on in class. Before long, the ringtone was circulating around playgrounds across the UK.
Not long after, the people who peddle Jay-Z answerphone messages and South Park screensavers to teenagers for exhorbitant prices saw this for what it was: a great opportunity to fleece the ringtone to the mass market (£3 each, thanks muchly). Now it's one of the biggest selling ringtones on the market and going to become a worldwide "craze".
But what does it actually sound like? And would us... slightly older... people really not be able to hear anything? It was time for an office test. I played the sound file in the office to see whether it would split people by age. And the result? Julia (26), Delanthy (26) and Paul (25) immediately covered their ears. Hannah (29) and Jim (30) sat there wondering when it would begin. Needless to say, I didn't hear a thing (at 33). But then Claire (28) could hear it. Hardly scientific, but if it's just teenagers they are looking to deter, there are a few 20-somethings round here who will also be avoiding Swindon City Centre.
Do your own test by downloading the file here - and let us know how you got on. Posted by Dom Waghorn ( 2:15 PM ) Link to this post Comments[2]
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Posted by Tom Green on June 21, 2006 at 04:20 PM GMT+00:00 #
Posted by Manuel on July 01, 2006 at 10:28 AM GMT+00:00 #