Watching in disbelief as mobs of girls scream and swoon over Elvis and the Beatles
Finding out that another person has no memory of where s/he was the day JFK was shot
Discovering that one can’t hear the Mosquito Ring Tone
What do these three moments have in common? They are pivotal instants in the last 50+ years when one generation has looked at the next and thought, “Wow, I’m OLD!”
Yes, yes, I know I’m well into my 40’s and am no spring chicken (probably even dating myself by using that expression). But, now there is irrefutable evidence that I have more in common with folks receiving Social Security than the 20-something crowd at work.
This epiphany occurred last night.
Over dinner, the children were telling me about a new cell phone ring tone that other kids were using at school. The tone is at such a high frequency that most people aged 30 and older cannot hear it. A student in my daughter’s geometry class recently downloaded this Mosquito ring tone and spent most of yesterday’s class receiving text messages (with the accompanying ring tone “alerts”), while other students tried to figure out where the high-pitch buzzing sound was coming from. Mrs. B., the geometry teacher, heard nothing. She grew frustrated and angry at her class and their continued complaint about phantom noises; she was certain it was a ploy to distract from the day’s lesson.
I actually heard about such a frequency a few years ago. At the time, it was called a “Mosquito teen repellent” because European shopkeepers blasted it to keep teens from loitering in front of their stores. I was intrigued by the story. Well, it didn’t take long for young people to turn the tables and use the frequency to outsmart the adults in their lives, which is somewhat amusing if you think about it.
However, I stopped laughing last night when I sat down at my computer to pull up the ring tone and see what all the fuss was about. I clicked on the requisite link and waited to hear the annoying buzz. Nothing. I called my daughter into my home office to see what she heard. She walked in, immediately covered her ears, and demanded that I shut off the sound. I then called Wise Hubby and my son into the room. Same results – old fogies heard nothing while kids winced and asked if they could leave. (Here’s a link to the high-frequency sound, if you want to conduct this experiment yourself.)
After that experience, I can no longer deny the reality: I am a card-carrying member of the older generation. I may come to embrace my “new” status, but for now I’m still in shock.
Anyone else have similar epiphanies when they realized they had made the leap across the generational divide?
1-8-2009 10:01:04
Elaine, one of my sons asked me a couple years ago if I could hear that sound, and I couldn’t. It did make me feel older — but I’m actually glad now that I can’t hear that sound. Then there’s the bi-focal epiphany. I guess eyes generally turn more far-sighted as you enter middle-age. So for a while I needed longer arms — until I got bifocal glasses and contacts.
By the way, I do remember where I was when I learned JFK was shot — I was a preschooler sitting on the floor of our livingroom and I remember a neighbor called my mom and asked if she had heard the news. After that, there were JFK books galore, and even packs of bubble gum with JFK trading card pictures. I was impressed even at that age to hear that JFK read four newspapers everyday.
1-8-2009 10:14:56
Interesting post. Here’s a link to an online test: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bWpSePfbTxc
1-8-2009 10:15:23
I was in my second grade classroom when JFK was shot. I will always remember that day. I had a bad headache. That night was the night the book mobile came to my neighborhood. Funny the details we remember.
We have our own example of what happens to hearing as we get older – my husband and I can no longer yell to each other from another room. We know the other one has said something, but what? And we both have glasses, his reading and my bifocals, in more than one room because there’s little we can read without them.
1-8-2009 10:42:01
I was in fourth grade when JFK was shot … I will always remember my teacher sharing the news, in tears. Like 9-11, that was one of the events by which I measure the other events/milestones in my life.
1-8-2009 21:11:19
I think it’s all a farce. I couldn’t hear it and my kids (8 and 10) couldn’t either.
1-9-2009 19:48:52
Okay: I can hear it, but it isn’t that annoying, just a high-pitched beep/buzz. Does that mean I’m halfway there, or what?
1-24-2009 22:29:55
I am new here. A friend of Anne’s. We just found a website that gives the ringtones by age. At only 44, I am depressed that I cannot hear the age 49 ring….The kids could hear them all and my hubby could hear down to age 39 (depressing)
Here is the link http://www.freemosquitoringtones.org/.