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more to do with habit as much as anything else. My Nan used to have the radio going all the time ( bbc with plays, interviews, documentaries) and she certainly wasn’t trying to escape her brain, if anything it opened her to a bigger world of ideas and joys.
companionship is also a reason for many
There are articles about older people using TV for: (the first three listed are psychological)
"Americans have redefined their relationships with television, seeing their TV less as an entertainment device and more as a companion, with 60 percent of American consumers leaving the TV on whether they're actively watching or not."
"Key findings of the survey include:
Pillow Talk: Twenty-two percent of Americans admit to watching or listening to the TV while they are intimate with their partners.
Rise and shine! More than one-third of Americans (38 percent) turn their televisions on as soon as they wake up.
Sleep tight! Nearly two-thirds (61 percent) fall asleep with the TV on.
Honey, I'm home! Nearly half (45 percent) of all Americans switch their televisions on within 15 minutes of arriving home.
Divided We Watch: For some (35 percent), their relationship with their TV is so strong they'd rather watch the same show at the same time as a family members or roommates, but in a separate room.
Touchdown! The majority of people (55 percent) talk to the TV during programs and sporting events.
Nature Calls: Even with the ability to pause live TV, 37 percent of people admit to leaving the door open while in the bathroom so they can keep watching.
Doggie Daycare: A quarter of respondents (26 percent) leave their TVs on for their pets when they step out.
Household Soundtrack: Multi-taskers love TV for background noise and leave it on while doing chores (73 percent), cooking (72 percent) and even while working (58 percent)."
Last edited by matisse12; 12-19-2021 at 05:30 PM..
"Americans have redefined their relationships with television, seeing their TV less as an entertainment device and more as a companion, with 60 percent of American consumers leaving the TV on whether they're actively watching or not."
"Key findings of the survey include:
Pillow Talk: Twenty-two percent of Americans admit to watching or listening to the TV while they are intimate with their partners.
Rise and shine! More than one-third of Americans (38 percent) turn their televisions on as soon as they wake up.
Sleep tight! Nearly two-thirds (61 percent) fall asleep with the TV on.
Honey, I'm home! Nearly half (45 percent) of all Americans switch their televisions on within 15 minutes of arriving home.
Divided We Watch: For some (35 percent), their relationship with their TV is so strong they'd rather watch the same show at the same time as a family members or roommates, but in a separate room.
Touchdown! The majority of people (55 percent) talk to the TV during programs and sporting events.
Nature Calls: Even with the ability to pause live TV, 37 percent of people admit to leaving the door open while in the bathroom so they can keep watching.
Doggie Daycare: A quarter of respondents (26 percent) leave their TVs on for their pets when they step out.
Household Soundtrack: Multi-taskers love TV for background noise and leave it on while doing chores (73 percent), cooking (72 percent) and even while working (58 percent)."
Thank you for taking the time to share and list links.
Why do some hate quiet. Not just the awkward silence during conversation or in the presence of people. But some just can't seem to handle quiet even if they have something to do. Many can't even appreciate quiet because they because they're used to artificial unnecessary background noise like music or tv.
I see why libraries had to mandate silence long ago.
It's the mind thing.
It is always looking for some excitement, something to be tickled by. As experiment, sit somewhere quiet and, simply, look at YOUR mind. You will notice a tornado in there. Nothing is calm and stable, thoughts come and go, one leads to another, worries and joys trade places or, come at same time.
It is a chaos. Such chaos instinctively seeks chaotic background, with ever changing tunes.
Some use music to attempt to distract their mind from that chaos, tired of constant thoughts havoc. Or, from inner fears and worries. Cheap psychological attempt of self therapy.
This is why in the original buddhist communities, music was not allowed. It's a distraction.
Why do some hate quiet. Not just the awkward silence during conversation or in the presence of people. But some just can't seem to handle quiet even if they have something to do. Many can't even appreciate quiet because they because they're used to artificial unnecessary background noise like music or tv.
I see why libraries had to mandate silence long ago.
In your post below, you discuss a very obvious psychological reason why you like TV noise on and/or in the background (which you posted after earlier strongly stating that your strong affinity for noise in the background has no psychological components)
Being anxious is psychological. Especially when one needs the TV on not to feel anxious.
But it's not PATHOLOGICAL. And a bunch of people here are trying to imply that it's pathological to want background noise.
In your post below, you discuss a very obvious psychological reason why you like TV noise on and/or in the background (which you posted after earlier strongly stating that your strong affinity for noise in the background has no psychological components)
Being anxious is psychological. Especially when one needs the TV on not to feel anxious.
That's in that one circumstance. It has nothing to do with why I like the TV on at work when I do my documentation, or why I need it on when everyone's home and I'm sitting in the living room doing my taxes.
It is insulting when many people are giving reasons why we like background noise and people keep coming on saying "they are people who can't take being by themselves", or "they need to escape their deep dark thoughts" as if we haven't been posting our reasons at all.
Ask a few people that you know if they require background noise. You'd be asking people that you know well enough to know if they might have things on their minds that they try not to deal with. It has been my experience with many people across the country that those that require background noise all the time have some pretty serious issues in their past or present.
Find that offensive? Go ahead and turn up your background noise, and you'll forget all about it.
Seriously, requiring it definitely leans toward an addiction. If you can't get by without it..............
Keep in mind "require" as I have noticed some must have any kind of noise. They aren't listening to anything in particular or paying attention to what it being produced from the noise.
That's interesting because when I get "monkey mind", music is not going to distract me. I have to be actively engaged in something to calm/redirect the chaos within. If it's at night, I read Kindle in bed. During the day, I get on the computer or do some activity that gets my mind off it.
I love music and do use it as background sometimes. Other times, we both sit in silence with only fans on. I have to have white noise at night to sleep though. Or I get awakened by the little noises....the a/c does double duty for this.
TV is reserved for dinner/Netflix. No TV until dark is our unspoken agreement.
Ask a few people that you know if they require background noise. You'd be asking people that you know well enough to know if they might have things on their minds that they try not to deal with. It has been my experience with many people across the country that those that require background noise all the time have some pretty serious issues in their past or present.
Find that offensive? Go ahead and turn up your background noise, and you'll forget all about it.
Seriously, requiring it definitely leans toward an addiction. If you can't get by without it..............
Keep in mind "require" as I have noticed some must have any kind of noise. They aren't listening to anything in particular or paying attention to what it being produced from the noise.
One could argue that it's the simple minded fool who doesn't have an occasional heavy thought and needs distraction sometimes...but whatever.
I think most that need constant background noise are trying to escape their own brain, much why many drink alcohol. Throw a monkey wrench into the gears instead of dealing with underlying problem.
Personally have no problem with sounds of nature. Its human generated noise that bugs me. Even music I like, 20 minutes tops or it becomes annoying. I can tolerate things like small engine noise I generate cause frankly it means a chore gets taken care of quicker. But dont want it beyond the time it takes to accomplish what I want to accomplish. Its why I live out in boonies. Unfortunately this time year with leaves on trees gone, get lot more distant traffic noise.
Wow. How did you come up with this guess? Sounds way-out to me.
Noise among humans is the natural state. Among most other animals, too. Humans, primates, other animals are quite noisy creatures. Plus more than a few birds and other creatures. We sing, we laugh, we speak, we click our heels to dance, we compose music, write operas. Quietness is not the natural state of humans. Is being unable to concentrate or be happy unless in a quiet atmosphere normal? Is being that way unless in an atmosphere with some noise, normal?
I tend to think it's because of the way the child was raised, that makes him used to sounds around him w/o them bothering him, or a quiet environment.
I was raised in a large family with sounds of all sorts. Talking, arguing, singing, dancing, jokes, laughter, music, tv, radio, phone ringing, etc. As a result of that, IMO, I'm comfortable with such sounds (up to a point); they don't interfere w/my abillity to concentrate. I also learned that it did me no good to demand quiet of others, because I wasn't going to get it! I had to learn to live among the living, and that involved sound. Which is the natural state of humans and many other animals, anyway. I am able to tune out some noises automatically, w/o trying, if I need to.
I read a study once that indicated that music helps employees be more productive. I love music generally, and am happy listening to it while I work, even if it's not my favorite kind of music. I believe that music makes people more productive, and there's a study, I believe, indicating that babies have higher intelligence if they were exposed to classical music while in the womb. I do have a problem with someone else's "noise" (like music) being loud enough to interfere with my own music.
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I had to learn to live among the living, and that involved sound. Which is the natural state of humans and many other animals, anyway. I am able to tune out some noises automatically, w/o trying, if I need to. 
