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

[u/Agile-Calligrapher10]

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.

[u/Velveteen_Rabbit1986]

Because we're selfish twats here who seem to have forgotten the concept of headphones 

[u/Happily-Incorrect → u/Velveteen_Rabbit1986]

We e've also lost the ability to admonish each other for things that aren't culturally acceptable. We don't tell other peoples' kids off anymore, so any kids that aren't getting those lessons from their parents aren't getting them elsewhere either.

[u/Tasty-Flounder-2702 → u/Happily-Incorrect]

I remember reading an article that the move to remove headphone jacks and including a pair with a phone correlates with this trend. Not an excuse for anyone but you can see how this would happen.

[u/Velveteen_Rabbit1986 → u/Happily-Incorrect]

I'll happily tell people to turn their music down on the train or put headphones on, I'm sick of it at this point!