Presbycusis lets devices weaponize high frequencies against only young ears

Evidence

Sound is being used to deter young people from congregating in particular areas via devices termed “mosquito units” or “teen deterrents.” These devices play sounds at relatively high levels that can only be heard by young people, thereby making it acoustically unpleasant for them to remain in a particular area. They can be placed outside shops, restaurants and other public places to discourage young people from hanging around there. The devices exploit the natural change in hearing response that occurs with age known as “pres­ bycusis” (see Section 2.3) which causes a significant reduction in the ear’s ability to hear high frequencies (see Figure 2.11). The mosquito was invented by Howard Stapleton in 2005 and it was first marketed in 2006. — David Howard, Jamie Angus, coustics and Psychoacoustics, 2564

Categorization

• SEED: Angle: ‘the age-gated frequency band’ — how a universal biological decay became a tool for private policing of public space, and the ethics of exploiting sensory difference.
• SHARE: The Howard Stapleton 2005 origin detail is exactly the kind of nerdy fact one specific sound-nerd friend would want to know.
• XREF: Connects to earlier book material on age-related high-frequency hearing loss (Section 2.3, Figure 2.11) as detailed in Chapter 2.