How old are you and can you hear the "teen only sound"?

Question

this is a link to an article with a link to the sound. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5434687

I am 36 and I can hear it in this link over the TV and AC in my apartment. Others recorded with background noise I cannot hear, but that may be the recording equipment.

My wife is 27 and can hear it as well.

Is this just another urban ledged?

Answer 1

I'm only 24, but I've heard and it's horrible, I wondered how poor dogs would feel if they heard it.

Answer 2

I'm in my 40s, and I hear it fine, and my mother, in her 70s, can also hear it.

It's not an urban legend; many older people start losing the ability to hear high-pitched sounds as they get into their 30s. It really depends on the person; some people keep their "top end" hearing all their lives, while others start losing it in their teens. Maybe an exposure to loud sounds makes the problem worse, but that doesn't mean that people that have never gone clubbing or attended a Spinal Tap concert can still hear the sound. I tried a 24 year old at work, and he couldn't hear it.

The anecdotal evidence seems to suggest that many more adults than originally thought can hear the tone. Some kids are likely to get a rude awakening if they try using this ringtone to fool their teachers when they go back to school in the fall.

Sometimes, it's better not to be able to hear super high pitched sounds. I worked next to a guy once that had a monitor that made an annoying high-pitched squeal that drove me nuts. However, no one else could hear it, including the 20 something guy that did our hardware support. They all thought I was hearing things; it took me a bit of convincing to get them to replace the monitor.

Answer 3

I'm 36 and I cannot hear it at all. Even if I crank it all the way up, all I hear is the hum of the speaker.

There are also a number of other high frequency tones to which I seem to be completely deaf. I have found that there are insects such as cicadas and some crickets that I cannot hear unless they are enclosed and I can hear the lower frequency echoes of their chirps.

My brother is 34 and he can hear it perfectly.

I think it has as much to do with genetically determined hearing range and the accumulated damage to hearing garnered over a lifetime of loud rock concerts, sticking Q-tips too far and wearing a Walkman (remember those) too long than actual age. An older individual is more likely to have accumulated more damage and is therefore more likely to be unable to hear the sound, but some older folk (who apparently don't listen to Disaster Area) may not have damaged their ears and can still hear it.

Answer 4

It's not an urban legend, but it would be incorrect to say that anyone over a certain age can't hear the tone; just that it becomes less likely the older a person is.

I'm 33 and I can't hear it. My boyfriend, however, hears it just fine and he's 37.

Answer 5

oh man I am 38 and I can hear that. Boy can I hear it.
I hate that sound. when I was young I was able to tell when anyone in the house turned on the TV as our old TV made that sound as it was warming up.

its really painfull to listen to.

luckily I never listened to Disaster Area or any other super loud bands when I was young. My hearing has been preserved!

Answer 6

I'm fifty six and I couldn't hear it. But my dogs didn't seem to hear it either so maybe it wasn't coming through on my computer. I think it's kind of a hoot but if the sound is as annoying as people say wouldn't teachers notice when students start cringing and covering their ears and moaning in pain?

Answer 7

Nope, it is a general misconception.

IF, note if, you are/were a club going teen THEN you can not hear it anymore. Your hearing gets busted. If you never were that kind of teen... you can still hear it if you were 99.

Of course other sources of sound can damage your ears too but this is why the teens get into the picture.

Answer 8

I'm 43 and my wife is 41 and we both heard it loud and clear. I've been into loud music, shooting and riding bikes since I was a kid and I still hear it very well. And the dog went nuts. I think the theory that older people can't hear it is load of crap.

Answer 9

I'm 71 and can hardly hear any sounds. Over the years, I sometimes wished I couldn't hear teenage sounds. The premise sounds logical, since yoou do lose high pitched sounds as you age.

Answer 10

I'm 18 and I can hear it.

The sound is high-pitched, it would depend on an individual's ability to distinguish low and high pitched sounds. Not on the age.

Answer 11

I am 38 and I haven't been able to hear it for 20 years.