by John Roberts

Created on: November 18, 2011   Last Updated: June 04, 2012

The concept of noise pollution was conceived in the late 1960s but unlike other environmental issues, excessive noise never received any serious consideration as a genuine destructive plight. In fact, no one seems to care about noise and during the past 10 years, noise levels have escalated to degrees beyond unreasonable in terms of rudeness and inconsideration. Mental and physical health is subtly experiencing a negative toll and that in turns adds to mounting health care costs.

The noise assault on the sense begins the moment you walk out your front door and this is not a reference to traffic and other routine sounds of an ordinary day. Today's youth oriented culture thrives on noise and has grown to love and embrace noise while the notion of peace and quiet is being rejected. Peace and quiet is all but extinct. The majority of society feels compelled to share its noise whether you like it or not. In general, man has reached an obsessive "Look at me!" craving for attention and what better means of drawing attention to oneself than by generating noise.

To those seeking peaceful tranquility, walkmans, Ipods, ear phones and other such devices seemed a blessing in containing one's noise to themselves. That has become myth. Have you ever been trapped on a subway car next to someone plugged in with the volume turned up so loud that the music can clearly be heard. What kind of hearing damage is happening to the wearer?

A generation of hearing impaired young people is in the making causing all volume controls to be continually be cranked up and visits to the ear doctor loom in their future. Have you been in your vehicle calmly listening to your own noise at a self-contained level when your reverie is shattered by a nearby car literally vibrating with one of those in the trunk thundering sound systems. You recognize that repetitive booming of heavy baselines resonating for two blocks. Music itself continues to evolves into louder incarnations. Think heavy metal and rap. There is nothing wrong with those musical genres but what is the compulsion of listeners to max out the volume?

Televisions are played louder easily penetrating thin apartment walls while the media has increased the volume of commercials which can shock a person out of their chair. Video games are a barrage of explosions and sound effects. Movies are increasingly becoming ear numbing experiences at the cinema. A recent thing is excessive horn honking as a game and there are now horns replicating those

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