Blaring out music on the bus really 'quintessentially social'?

A Transport for London survey last year found that 70% of respondents consider sounds from fellow passengers’ devices a nuisance, yet “loudcasting” on buses and other public transport remains common. The issue, highlighted in a BBC report, pits commuter annoyance against academics who frame loudcasting as a “fascinating human phenomenon” of “marking social territory.” Offcom data cited by the BBC says two-thirds of 13-to-17-year-olds think it’s acceptable to make video calls without headphones in public, with similar majorities for listening to music out loud and watching videos. The debate is now being treated as social behavior rather than simple rudeness.