The Effects of Population Density and Noise - Essay Example

The Effects of Population Density and Noise College The Effects of Population Density and Noise Human beings have a recorded history of thousands of years. During this time, we have multiplied in great numbers. Today the world population has reached over seven billion. This massive increase in numbers has made life difficult. The immense urbanization and enormous industrialization throughout the globe have turned the lives of people grim. Cities are turning into mere blocks of houses with very little space left for parks and recreational centers. Cities like Tokyo, Hong Kong and Mumbai are some of the world’s densest areas. Among other problems, the increasing noise pollution and the negative affect of decreasing area have created problems related to health and psychology. Effect of population density and noise on individuals The increasing density alters the perceptions about territoriality, privacy and personal space. Noise creates stress and pushes people to talk or express loudly to make themselves heard. Noise constrains sound awareness, an effect called masking (Barber, Crooks & Fristrup, 2010). It is the effect on one’s sound like a reaction to the presence of another sound. The higher and more irritating the original sound (cars honking horns, machines running, TV advertisements, self-broadcasting etc.) the more deranged the reactionary sound will be. This effects everyday communication among people. Territoriality, privacy, and personal space Territoriality is the psychological concept relating with the nonverbal communication that people use in terms of space (territory). The size and display of one’s property can reflect this concept vividly. A person driving a big car is nonverbally making a statement of owning a bigger space on the road than the average cars. The way a person sits/stands also displays territoriality. People who stand tall and broad (regardless of their body size) demonstrate dominant territorial nature. The concept of privacy is related with territoriality. The area a person owns (such as real estate) or exhibits the possession of (body posture) marks their territory in which they can have their privacy. Invasion of one’s car or property is a breach of privacy. Different people have different concepts of their privacy. To some people certain actions would not count as a breach of privacy but to others, it would be a serious offense. The concept of personal space is very similar to privacy. The difference is explained through psychological concepts. A person would only allow close friends and family to come into their private space. Standing too close to a person is a serious breach of personal space. Concepts of territoriality, privacy, and personal space A brief overview of the human population would help in understanding how people’s concepts of privacy, personal space and territoriality are changing. The thousands of years old caveman had a large personal space compared to a man in today’s world. Humans are territorial and in the earlier times a man would own miles of land around their cave or home. Any trespasser would be considered an enemy. With the increase in population, this privacy shrunk. More people began building homes near natural resources like water. People started to learn to live in tribes. This shift in lifestyle changed their territoriality. A tribe would mark its territory instead of a man or family. Today countries, nations and governments do the same by marking the borders and setting their troops to defend the lines. The increasing population density has made the concepts of territory and personal space so limited that people have to compromise to survive. In subways, people are standing so close to each other that they have to ignore their personal space. Overcoming their primitive urge to claim a ‘reasonable’ space is the only option they are left with. Effect of parks and gardens on individuals living in urban environments Places like zoos, gardens and parks create the necessary ‘oasis’ in an urban setting. Even if it is artificial, it gives the urban population a chance to interact with the natural environment. The environmental identity of an individual gets nourishment with such interaction. Maller et al. (2005) supports the notion that natural environments reduce stress, promote health and also contribute in reducing crimes. The impact on health is visible even by an ordinary man. People go to parks in urban areas where they engage in physical activities. These areas provide them exercise and relieve stress levels. They tend to live healthier active life compared to areas where there are no places for physical activities. Green neighborhoods give the feeling of being close to nature that psychologically pulls people out of the artificial environment of an urban surrounding. Places like parks and zoos also provide an opportunity for better social interaction. People talk to each other share their problems. It provides catharsis as well as strengthens the community bond among people. Neighborhood parks are a source of recreational opportunities, and they provide amenity to nearby residents, as a result, they improve the environment and their quality of life (Jim & Chen, 2010). It is a natural urge in humans to interact with nature. Effect of noise on individuals Incoherent and displeasing sounds are often termed as noises. Such sounds are usually involuntary such as the effect on an individual due to traffic noises or the running machines at the construction site. Stress is the primary result of elevated noise levels. In loud, noisy environments there is a significant likelihood of the blood pressure rising up. The higher cortisol level in the body causes stress. Stress has both long term and short-term harmful effects on the body. The short term impact of stress is a bad mood, smaller attention span and irritating behavior. Cardiovascular diseases and the reduction in one’s learning ability are its long term affects. Children are highly vulnerable to adverse effects of sounds as they do not possess the skills of tuning out the unwanted noises or to pay attention to certain stimuli among the onslaught of noise. This damaging process can affect their verbal and learning abilities. Strategies to reduce noise in the workplace In addition to higher noise levels, city areas are branded with spatial heterogeneity in noise levels, probable daytime variation in noise and the presence of numerous vertical reflective surfaces (Warren, Katti, Ermann & Brazel, 2006). One way to cope with elevated noise levels is to reduce the sound of the source. Better engines in cars, limit on the amount or frequency of sounding horns, the legal limit on playing music and other instruments that create noise. However, such arrangements are not always possible. The Key factors in avoiding excessive noise include correctly using hearing protection; hearing protectors, (earmuffs, disposable earplugs) can give 20 to 40 dB of reduction in noise when properly used (Rabinowitz, 2000). This protection can be extremely beneficial in noisy environments such as airports and gun shooting sites. Such protection measures not only help reduce stress, but they also prevent a person from hearing impairment. Another strategy to cope with noise is to either build/buy houses in quieter places or to make the current one better equipped with to keep the noises out. Putting on additional fabric/material on doors and windows can help. Stuffed furnishing can significantly contribute. People can especially ask for interior decoration and finishing that can help make the room more sound proof. If possible, people can make the house walls that have space in between them to block out the noises. In conclusion, people need to protect themselves from noise as it has a damaging impact. Concepts of territoriality, personal space and privacy vary according to persons, but there are general rules that apply to all of them. Breaching anyone’s privacy makes them uncomfortable. In urban areas, the reducing personal space and increasing noise levels are resulting in a damaged society on a collective basis. People are becoming more aggressive, and there is increasing negative social interaction in city life. Urban life is becoming more individualistic than social. People want their comfort and peace. References Barber, J. R., Crooks, K. R., & Fristrup, K. M. (2010). The costs of chronic noise exposure for terrestrial organisms. Trends in Ecology & Evolution, 25(3), 180-189. Jim, C. Y., & Chen, W. Y. (2010). External effects of neighborhood parks and landscape elements on high-rise residential value. Land Use Policy, 27(2), 662-670. Maller, C., Townsend, M., Pryor, A., Brown, P. & St. Leger, L. (2005). Healthy nature healthy people: contact with nature as an upstream health promotion intervention for populations. Health Promotion International, 21(1), 45-54 Rabinowitz, P. M. (2000). Noise-induced hearing loss. American Family Physician, 61(9), 2759-2760. Warren, P. S., Katti, M., Ermann, M., & Brazel, A. (2006). Urban bioacoustics: its not just noise. Animal Behavior, 71(3), 491-502. Read More