Shared spaces should not mean shared audio.

Phones and tablets are now part of everyday life, but the growing habit of playing videos, games, music, social media clips and children’s programmes out loud in public places has become a serious nuisance.

Whether people are eating in a restaurant, sitting in a café, travelling on a train, boarding a flight, waiting in a public area, or trying to enjoy a quiet space, they should not be forced to listen to someone else’s device.

This is not about banning technology. It is not about criticising parents. It is not about stopping children from watching programmes or people from using their phones.

It is about one simple standard of courtesy:

Use headphones, mute the device, or do not play audio in shared public spaces.

Unwanted device audio can be especially difficult for people with tinnitus, sensitive hearing, misophonia, autism, ADHD, anxiety, migraines, hearing conditions and sensory processing difficulties. It also affects anyone who simply wants to eat, travel, talk, read or sit in peace.

Noise is not just an inconvenience. The World Health Organization recognises environmental noise as a public health issue, with excessive noise linked to annoyance, stress, sleep disturbance, hearing impairment, tinnitus and cognitive effects. The CDC also warns that repeated exposure to loud sound can contribute to noise-induced hearing loss.

We are calling on restaurants, cafés, airlines, train operators, bus companies, airports, waiting rooms and other public-facing organisations to introduce and enforce clear “headphones only” rules for personal devices.

We are asking for:

1. Clear signs saying that speaker audio from phones, tablets and games is not permitted.
2. “Headphones only” reminders in booking confirmations, menus, apps, onboard announcements and public information.
3. Staff to be supported in giving polite reminders when people play device audio out loud.
4. Repeated refusal to stop speaker audio to be treated as antisocial behaviour.
5. Quieter, calmer and more respectful shared spaces for everyone.
   
   A restaurant should not be filled with several tablets playing at once. A flight should not turn passengers into a trapped audience for someone else’s videos. A train carriage, café or waiting room should not become someone’s personal cinema.

This is a small, reasonable change that would make public spaces better for everyone.

Please sign this petition if you agree:

Headphones in shared spaces. Silence where headphones are not used. Respect for everyone nearby.