Media Noise: the problem of hygienic rationing and personal well-being

Abstract

The article raises the problem of hygienic rationing of a special type of noise, the nature of which stems from the sources of public information – the mass media. The author develops a new concept of comprehending this type of noise – the concept of Media Noise. Such noise is associated with the special nature of its perception and consumption in the background mode that acts as a risk factor for human health and well-being. The author points out such specific characteristics of the media noise that relate it to certain risk factors, namely: hyperstimulation of the auditory analyzer and the inability to control its implementation (work), that is, the compulsion of perception. This second key feature of the media noise is similar to mental violence, if the audio signal is used by an external subject, for example, in public places or transport, and its broadcasting excludes the possibility for the perceiving subject to influence upon the source of noise (a screen or a player).