Second-hand noise; don't be that person
Second-hand noise is the new smoke - we need have a debate on how to govern the cacophony of modern life, before it starts killing us too We used to be able to smoke everywhere. On trains, in bars and restaurants – even in the office. And then slowly, but surely, the spaces where people could light up a cigarette began to disappear. Why? Because we learned about the health-risks, new social norms started forming, and we would no longer accept the exposure to second-hand smoke. Will we one day feel the same way about noise pollution ? Sure, no-one ever died because someone’s earphones were playing too loudly. But the same principle applies; is it fair to inflict your second-hand noise on your neighbours and colleagues? The United Nations health organization (WHO) calls ‘noise’; “an underestimated threat that can cause a number of short- and long-term health problems, such as for example sleep disturbance, cardiovascular effects, poorer work and school pe...