Aight, let’s admit something no one wants to say out loud: silence freaks us out. Like, seriously. The second things get too quiet, we reach for our phones, play a podcast, blast some Spotify playlist called “Focus Vibes” or “Lo-Fi Chill for Overthinkers” — because God forbid we sit in stillness and hear our own thoughts echoing back. 😬
This article is basically the noisy cousin of the one I wrote earlier, “The Death of Boredom: Are We Losing the Ability to Just Do Nothing?” Spoiler alert: yes, we are. And now, we might be losing the ability to just be… in silence.
The Age of Constant Sound
Once upon a time, people had actual quiet. No earbuds, no Netflix playing in the background, no Instagram reels autoplaying someone else’s chaotic life into your eyeballs. You sat on the porch. You watched birds, gazing on the stars and “cuci mata”. You heard your own heartbeat. You reflected. You felt things.
Now?
You open TikTok while brushing your teeth.
You play a podcast while cooking.
You scroll YouTube Shorts while another YouTube video is playing.
Even toilets in Japan play sound effects so people don’t have to hear themselves pee. I’m not even making that up. XAXAXA 💦
Are We Really Addicted to Noise?
Let’s break it down:
📱 The numbers don’t lie – A 2023 Nielsen report showed the average person now consumes over 11 hours of media per day. That’s not including work. That’s just digital content — audio, video, and social media.
🎧 Streaming everything – Spotify has 600+ million users. Podcasts are downloaded more than 5 billion times yearly. And there are now playlists for everything — even sleeping. Yes, some of us need noise to fall asleep because silence has become a threat.
📲 Notifications as heartbeat – Ever felt weird when your phone is on silent mode for too long? Like you’re missing something? Like reality’s broken a little?
That’s not just you. That’s addiction to noise.
But Why Are We So Scared of Silence?
Here comes the uncomfortable part.
Silence strips away distractions.
And when there’s nothing outside of us grabbing our attention… we’re forced to look inside.
And what’s in there? Maybe:
- A little loneliness
- Some regrets we haven’t processed
- That existential dread we keep dodging
- Big questions we’ve been avoiding like: What am I doing with my life?
- The sound of our own thoughts, raw and uncensored
Silence doesn’t lie. It forces us to face what we’ve been drowning out with curated playlists and influencer voices.
The Fear of Being Alone with Ourselves
In 2014, a study by the University of Virginia found that many participants preferred giving themselves electric shocks rather than sitting alone in silence with their thoughts for just 15 minutes. Yup. People literally zapped themselves because silence was that unbearable.
In our digital age, we’re so used to outsourcing stimulation — to YouTube creators, TikTokers, Spotify mixes, WhatsApp group chats — that the idea of simply existing, without input, feels… alien.
But Silence Is Not the Enemy
Here’s the twist: silence isn’t trying to hurt us. It’s trying to help.
🌱 Silence is the soil where creativity grows.
📖 It’s the pause where understanding happens.
🧘 It’s the sacred space where healing begins.
But we’ve buried silence under a mountain of noise because we think stillness equals laziness, or loneliness, or being “unproductive.” When actually, silence might be the most productive thing your mind and soul could ask for.
Reclaiming the Quiet
Alright, so how do we detox from this noise addiction?
- 🚫 Try a “No Audio Hour” — 60 minutes a day with no music, no videos, no talking. Just… you.
- 🌳 Go for a walk without your phone. Yes, your ancestors did this. You’ll survive.
- 📓 Journal in silence. Let your thoughts spill without background beats.
- 🧘 Practice breathwork or just lie on the floor and stare at the ceiling. Do nothing. Let boredom win.
Start small. At first, it might feel weird — even scary. But give it time. The silence will start talking back… and maybe, you’ll realise you’ve been missing you all along.
Final Thought
We used to think silence was golden. Now it feels like a glitch in the matrix. But maybe, in a world screaming for attention, silence is the real rebellion. ✊
So next time you feel that itch to press play, scroll, or blast something — pause. Embrace the quiet.
Because if you listen closely, that silence? It might just be your true self calling.
References:
- Media Consumption Report 2023 – Neilsen
- Most people would rather shock themselves than be alone with their thoughts – Instagram
- The Power of Silence – BBC
- The Politics of Noise and Silence – The Atlantic
More quiet rebellion at www.rem.my. Just don’t play lo-fi beats while reading it, okay? 😎
XAXAXA