Take a listen to this audio clip. Be Careful, the sound (if you can hear like a teenager) is loud and annoying (it’s not called a mosquito ringtone for nothing). You may want to turn down your computer speakers and turn up gradually to test a comfortable sound level.
Mosquito Ringtone – Can you Hear Like a Teenager?
[audio:http://www.noiseaddicts.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/test_tone_teenager.mp3|titles=audio]What do you hear? If you don’t hear anything, you’re not alone. You’re probably over the age of 25. If you can hear it, then you likely find it fairly annoying.
Get downloads of Mosquito Ringtones
As we age, the little hairs in our inner ear lose some of their function and we begin to lose our hearing in the very high frequency ranges. Tones like the one above are sometimes used by teens for their cell phone ring tones so their teachers can’t hear their phone ringing in class (where cell phones are usually banned). The teacher, who is likely older than 25, has some degree of hearing loss and is oblivious to the ring.
Another ingenious use of this concept comes in a $1500 package called the “Mosquito”, which is an anti-teen loitering device. The device is placed wherever teen loitering is unwanted, with the idea being that teens will find it so annoying that they’ll go somewhere else. Adults, on the other hand are not bothered by the tone because they can’t hear it.
In any case, if you can’t hear the tone, don’t feel bad – it just means you’re getting wiser.
If you liked this article, please check out our High Frequency Hearing Test to see just how high your hearing actually goes.
I am 36 and I am hard of hearing what people say and I am have hearing aid and sometimes were them.
I’m 46 and I can hear it. It also makes my nose and my jaw itch.
I’m 48 and can hear it very well. On the other page, I couldn’t hear anything after 18 kHz. Bizarrely 17 and 18 sounded less high that all the previous sounds if any
I’m 49 years old and I CAN hear it. Take THAT you whipper-snappers!
My nan’s tv when turned on sounds like this I swear. But very very quietly.
🙂 I’m 26 yeas old and can hear that, I can’t listen to it for to long it hurts and my ears ring for a while after. XD That’s why i hate hearing tests.
I am almost 50, and I can hear it! Sounds like a mosquito in my brain.
i am 14 and can only hear to 16 khz :/. well, my sister can hear to 18 khz but she is 12 so..
I’m 15.. i think i can hear it.. though i turned my volume all the way up and am wearing headphones and its not very loud or annoying. Though i do have a problem with volume.. like on my tv i have to have it up past 40 to understand anything that is being said on the screen, and i cant really understand someone on the phone without asking them to repeat themselves like 2-5 times. Same thing when i’m with a group of people talking, or in the car haha… not sure if thats bad or not though lol 🙂
I am 47 and I heard it, easily. I look very much younger than my age so maybe I have other genes.
OWW! >_< so loud it hurts! i had my volume at teh lowest and it hurt my ears so MUCH! I'm 14 though… this will definitely keep me away 😛
OWWWWW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! that hurts like, REALLY BAD! its not annoying, IT JUST HURTS!!!!
Hmm… heard it just fine and I’m 43. Even worse? I’ve been working in a very loud (F.E.C.) environment for 25 years which you -think- would affect my hearing. Nope.
Hurts my ears plenty.
-.- well my dog can hear it! (so can i)
I’m 40 and can hear it, very annoying sound anyway. But in the first test, I can’t hear it because I used some external speakers. When using the laptop speakers I can hear it.
With other words, the sound the wave producing also depends on your audio equipment. The signal can also be weaker or stronger when moving your head around.
Nice test anyway!
I am 10 and i can hear it and my dad is 50 and he can hear it.
It makes me think that u lot have no ears.
I can hear it (barely) if I hold my laptop speaker next to my ear. Otherwise, no 🙂
I’m only 13 and I can’t hear this…
Dang.