Nobody Wants to Hear Your TikTok at Full Volume

An ongoing examination of unsolicited TikTok audio, public scrolling sessions, and the alarming belief that an entire waiting room should be forced to experience somebody else’s For You Page.

01. The Disturbance

It begins in the waiting room of an ordinary medical office. The chairs are uncomfortable, the magazines are approximately four years old, and a television mounted in the corner is quietly displaying a home renovation program nobody appears particularly interested in watching.

For once, the atmosphere is relatively peaceful.

Then someone opens TikTok.

Not quietly. Not with headphones. Not even at a reasonable volume.

FULL. VOLUME.

The first video features a woman shouting about something her boyfriend allegedly did. Before you can understand the situation, the audio abruptly changes to a man explaining how to make a high-protein breakfast using cottage cheese and six ingredients nobody has ever purchased voluntarily.

Three seconds later, there’s a dramatic sound effect.

Then a dog barking.

Then somebody yelling, “WAIT UNTIL YOU SEE WHAT HAPPENS NEXT!”

Then the same song begins playing for the fourth time.

You glance across the room and discover the source of the disturbance: a fully grown adult scrolling through their phone with the volume turned up high enough to provide entertainment to neighboring businesses.

They are completely unbothered.

Meanwhile, the receptionist has increased the volume of her phone calls, an elderly gentleman is visibly confused by the sudden shouting, and a woman in the corner has begun staring at the ceiling with the expression of someone reconsidering every decision that led her to this appointment.

The offender continues scrolling.

And just like that, the Public Nuisances Department has opened another investigation. Because nobody scheduled a communal TikTok viewing party, and the general public would appreciate an explanation for why one person’s algorithm has become everybody’s problem.

02. The Audacity

Let’s establish something immediately: enjoying TikTok is not a crime. Funny videos, cooking tutorials, pet content, and questionable life hacks are perfectly acceptable ways to pass the time. The internet provides an endless supply of entertainment, and sometimes a ridiculous video is exactly what you need to get through a boring afternoon.

But there’s a significant difference between enjoying a video privately and forcing seventeen strangers to participate in your entertainment choices.

And can we discuss the audio experience?

TikTok isn’t exactly known for maintaining a consistent volume. One video features someone whispering into a microphone. The next includes a dramatic scream, an explosion sound effect, and a motivational speaker shouting about financial freedom.

When you’re scrolling at full volume in a public space, everyone around you is subjected to this unpredictable audio roller coaster without warning.

Then there’s the repeated video phenomenon.

Some people watch the same clip over and over because they missed a detail or thought something was funny. That’s understandable when you’re using headphones. But when the entire waiting room has already heard the same seven-second audio six times, the experience begins to resemble an unauthorized psychological experiment.

And why is it always the most irritating sound?

Nobody ever seems to be quietly enjoying a peaceful nature documentary. It’s always a dramatic argument, an aggressive remix, or somebody repeatedly shouting, “YOU’RE DOING IT WRONG!”

Ma’am, I haven’t done anything. I’m literally waiting for my dentist.

03. Repeat Offenders

The For You Page Broadcaster: This individual scrolls through TikTok at maximum volume in public spaces, apparently believing that their algorithm has been approved for general distribution. Their content includes everything from cooking tutorials to relationship arguments, and every stranger within thirty feet becomes an unwilling subscriber. They do not appear to understand that headphones exist.

The Repeat Viewer: This offender finds a video they consider particularly entertaining and watches it approximately fourteen consecutive times. Unfortunately, the audio contains the same three-second sound effect repeated throughout the clip. By the seventh viewing, everyone nearby has memorized the sound. By the twelfth, several people are considering relocating to another room.

The Public Commentator: This individual doesn’t simply watch TikTok. They provide live commentary. They laugh loudly, argue with the creator, announce their opinions, and occasionally turn the screen toward strangers who have demonstrated absolutely no interest in participating. Their favorite phrase is, “You HAVE to see this!” The general public respectfully disagrees.

The Volume Oblivious Scroller: This suspect genuinely seems unaware that their phone is making noise. They sit in otherwise quiet environments, scrolling through videos while everyone around them exchanges increasingly uncomfortable glances. When someone finally asks them to lower the volume, they respond with genuine surprise. “Oh, is it loud?” Yes. The entire building knows what your algorithm thinks about air fryer recipes.

04. Tessa Has Questions

First of all, when did headphones become an optional accessory for people who enjoy personal entertainment in public?

We have wireless earbuds, traditional headphones, inexpensive wired options, and approximately seventeen different ways to listen to audio without broadcasting it across a room. Yet somehow, people are still sitting in waiting rooms holding their phones like miniature televisions while the rest of us experience their entire entertainment schedule.

And why is the volume always so aggressive?

There’s never a gradual introduction. Nobody politely announces that they’re about to watch a video. One moment you’re peacefully checking your email, and the next you’re listening to somebody scream about a viral cleaning hack involving baking soda.

Now, to be fair, not everyone can comfortably use headphones. Some people have sensory sensitivities, hearing-related needs, or other circumstances that make certain audio options impractical. And there are situations where briefly playing a video aloud is perfectly reasonable.

But the broader issue is consideration for shared spaces.

Waiting rooms, public transportation, restaurants, and other communal environments contain people with different needs, preferences, and tolerance levels for noise. Someone might be working, reading, resting, or simply trying to enjoy a moment of quiet.

And unlike a conversation happening naturally around them, a constant stream of short-form videos introduces an unpredictable series of sounds that can be particularly distracting.

There’s also something mildly fascinating about how personally offended some people become when asked to lower the volume. A simple request for consideration is sometimes treated as an unreasonable attack on their freedom to enjoy social media.

Respectfully, nobody is banning TikTok. We’re asking whether the entire restaurant really needs to hear the same dramatic audio clip while trying to eat lunch.

And here’s a revolutionary concept: you can watch a video without sound.

Many videos include captions. Others make sense visually. And if the audio is essential, perhaps save that particular clip for a moment when listening won’t disturb everyone around you.

The general public has enough competing noises to navigate throughout the day. Traffic, conversations, announcements, construction, and the occasional malfunctioning shopping cart already provide a fairly comprehensive soundtrack.

We do not require additional background music from somebody’s algorithm.

Especially when that algorithm appears to consist entirely of relationship drama, aggressive motivational speeches, and people yelling about cottage cheese.

05. The Official Public Notice

After reviewing numerous unsolicited TikTok performances, examining several suspiciously loud scrolling sessions, and consulting an entirely imaginary department of public audio management, the Public Nuisances Department has issued the following notice.

PUBLIC NOTICE STATUS: ACTIVE. ALL UNSOLICITED AUDIO HAS BEEN DOCUMENTED.

Now it’s your turn, Group Chat. What’s the most ridiculous video you’ve ever been forced to listen to in public? Have you ever been trapped beside someone watching TikTok at full volume, or heard the same sound clip so many times you started questioning your own sanity? The Public Nuisances Department welcomes your testimony, but please submit it with the volume turned down.