I don’t know what has happened, or when exactly it began, but for some reason, everyone is screaming.

I expect it to be loud at sports bars. Or kids venues. That makes sense.

Anywhere we go, though, it is loud. Loud. LOUD!!

The last two times we went out to high end restaurants, with nothing but subtle background music, we couldn’t hear each other speak. What was supposed to be a romantic dinner turned into straining to hear each other, while the other tables made our eardrums bleed with their loud chatter.

My nerd husband actually measured how loud it was at a recent venue, and it was over 100 decibels. Legitimately ear damaging loud.

Everyone is screaming to over-talk the nearby tables. Instead of bringing it down, the volume goes up. And up.

I think cell phones are partly to blame – everyone raises their voices and speaks louder when holding a phone. I think people are so used to shouting into a cellular device, they transfer their outside voice to every conversation, everywhere.

We even went to an outdoor concert that was so loud with the cacophony of college age concert goers, we couldn’t hear the artist on stage! We left, lest we spend two hours listening to the banal and oversharing stories of promiscuous and alcohol driven behavior.

This incessant auditory overload is keeping us at home. We go out less. We spend more time in the peace and quiet of our home.

It’s a shame.

I don’t know how to reverse this self centered shouting match communication trend. The loudest one does not win.

Common courtesy would be nice, but I fear it is long gone, along with our inside voices.