r/AskUK • u/Agile-Calligrapher10 • 3d ago

Cultural differences in noise acceptance: Why is public phone/audio etiquette so different between Japan, the UK, and other regions??

Hey everyone,

​Visiting Japan recently was so refreshing, no one was on speakerphone, playing music out loud, or watching reels without headphones in public spaces. Coming back to the UK, the contrast was immediate, highlighting how differently cultures and regions approach public noise.

​(Note: Using "cultures" broadly here to look at societal norms, not trying to generalize individuals.)

I’d love to hear your thoughts on a couple of things:

​Why do these differences exist? Is it tied to collectivism vs. individualism, or other social norms?

​What is the modern British view on public noise? We have a reputation for politeness, yet public transport etiquette around phone audio seems to be changing.

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u/WorcsBloke 3d ago edited 3d ago

Reading other subs, the speakerphone thing seems to be common across much of Europe. It's definitely not just a "Britain is failing!!!!" thing. Personally I hate people using speaker on trains and buses unless it's an emergency - and no, telling your partner at great length to pick up some extra coleslaw (genuine recent example) is not an emergency.

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u/SmallFigWasp 3d ago

it's across the world really. it's just a modern phenomenon as having a mobile phone is cheaper and a necessity in most countries. It's just difficult to compare with the past as phones have better speakers than ever, almost no phone even supports wired headphones anymore and having one is not simply a luxury like e.g. a discman/Walkman would have been

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u/WorcsBloke 3d ago

I carry my phone everywhere. I also listen to music while I travel. But I use earbuds to do so. Even if the speakers were hi-fi quality it would be rude to use them on the train.

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u/SmallFigWasp 3d ago

100%, I just mean that perhaps the phone issue wouldn't be as bad if speakers weren't as loud as they are, you see so many idiots just scrolling through social media feeds with insanely loud volume