Computer noises are the focus in the festival setting, it’s not a distraction.
Pen clicks are little momentary brain erasers that rip the attention you’re so desperately trying to focus away from the thing you’re focusing on, and now you have to struggle constantly to get it back with each one.
Pen clicks would be no problem if you were intentionally focusing on someone clicking their pen.
So thaaaat’s why I like clicking pens as a fidget but don’t love it when others do it in my proximity.
People who don’t understand my aversion to noisy environments sometimes can’t understand why I’m ok with loud music festivals. You nailed it.
This is less ADHD and more autism, right?
I have both and experience sensory issues differently. The autistic sensory issues are definitely more significant and impactful. Like my brain just cannot process things once it gets overwhelmed, sometimes it’s painful and feels like my head is going to burst. ADHD sensory issues are more attention based, so I don’t get overwhelmed in the same way, just frustrated and less able to control my executive function. I can also get hyperfixated on a specific thing, whereas with autism it just becomes all one big overwhelming stream of data that I can’t process.
… Because it can’t happen to people that have either of those disorders and only one of those disorders can cause sensory issues. ADHD is a spectrum with a broad list of symptoms and not just “haha, my lil stupid brain can’t concentrate” disorder.
We had an open office (small, about ten people in-person on a given day). There would get to be three conversations happening across the space. I wished people wouldn’t talk over each other, just go have a quiet discussion face to face. I wanted to scream “shut up shut UP SHUT UP,” and would just walk out to preserve my sanity. I hated that shit.
My Sensory Processing Disorder is what got me on the road to my autism diagnosis in adulthood, it’s bad.
And I’ve heard the “gotcha” about music and concerts so many times, especially since I too am a massive fan of “computer noises *” (honestly though classical music concerts are the worst offender because all you can hear is others around you clearing throats, coughing, opening candy wrappers… It’s like torture), but somehow only just recently the penny dropped - it’s a stim!
So not only is it the choice thing and the fact that you can follow music vs how sudden/sharp noises just completely scramble your brain and all that other stuff, but also - it’s calming to the nervous system (especially when you’re having a sensory overload and putting headphones with loud music on is enough to block out the noise, never mind a defence against that in the first place), it’s giving me something enjoyable to focus on, it’s giving me these lovely sounds to vocalise along with (vocal stimming/echolalia, which can be harder with lyrics vs just music because words make you think), it’s probably the only thing other than my cat purring that I can completely sink in to even if it’s just for a minute or two to get a break from the internal noise in my head (doesn’t always work, but nothing else does).
None of that helps explain it to the NTs though, more often than not when I try their instinct is to make as many horrible noises as they can, and not just then, but at random points later to “test” me, or worse, openly state that they are doing it to trigger me because they find my distressed reaction hilarious. A few do get it, and they try their best, but it’s still a constant asking them to “please not”, and if they can hear that without taking it personally and getting upset, then you know they can stay lol
*here was what I originally linked but then my playlist changed my mind, but both are good, listen to both lol
From converting vegetarians, I go nuts during the “shaka ka ka ka ka ka ka … shaka ka ka ka… sha kawwww”. I’m right there with you vocalizing to our awesome computer music.
I also had the modem dialing up sound as my ring tone for a while in college … because it made me happy. It really is so different when we WANT to have our systems overwhelmed and swim in the shutdown. Thanks for sharing your links, was a nice surprise when I wasn’t necessarily expecting IM :D
(You may also like Holly Herndon and BT, if you don’t already listen to them)
I love that track!
And your comment reminded me of a youtube comment that really made me lol the other day, someone posted the lyrics, and then someone replies
Waaaah! Waaaah! Waaaah! Waaaahaaaaahh! Waaaah!
And it’s just so accurate 🤣
Modem dialling sound is a littlie too screechy for me, I guess it’s residual trauma from the days where my parents would try to log on while I was on the phone lmao
Gave a couple of Holly Herndon tracks a quick listen, some bits are great but others are a little breathy for me. What does BT stand for?
Wow, I can’t comprehend how much of a crayon eating, gasoline guzzling failure of a human one can be, just because “it’s so much fun”. It makes me furious only reading about it.
Can you please clarify?
They mean that the people fucking with you by making noise on purpose are assholes
Yes, exactly. Thanks!
I thought they might, but “crayon eating, gasoline guzzling failure of a human” is the kind of language those same people who do that would use, so it’s thrown me. If that is what they meant, that’s a really poor way of phrasing it, especially in a space like this…
Sorry, If it wasn’t clear to you. I thought it was obvious, so I didn’t think much about it. I meant that those people, who pick on you for having sensory issues, are assholes. I also have problems with sensory input and if someone were to make fun of me for having these problems, I’d be absolutely livid about it.
I always love running across other IM fans in the wild. Those guys’ music has such a special place in my heart for personal sentimental reasons but it’s also consistently some of the most unique, varied, and surprising stuff I listen to, and I listen to a lot of EDM/IDM.
unique, varied, and surprising
Spot on. Also often cheeky.
Been listening to them for over 20 years, and they’re pretty much all I listen to nowadays (Cream is on in the background as I type lol), there isn’t just a track for every mood, but like 10… I’ve been narrowing their complete discography down and got a main playlist of over 350 tracks, and of those I’ve marked just under 100 as favourites. Which is wild, really…
While I first heard Bust a Move probably around 2002 I was way too young to really appreciate it. I got reintroduced to their stuff when a friend threw on “The Pretender” in late 2016 and blew my mind. Since then I’ve favorited over 150 tracks off of 44 releases, which is absolutely insane as most of my other favorite artists top out at maybe 30 tracks. I was lucky enough to get to see them perform a DJ set in 2019 where I heard the first half of “Ani Mevushal” before it was released which was amazing. I would love to get the chance to see them again.
Since then I’ve favorited over 150 tracks off of 44 releases
Good to know it’s not just me then lol
Most definitely not. Aaaaaand now I think I’ll start the day off with Converting Vegetarians II haha.
Oh my glob, that’s such a fantastic album. It took me a while to warm up to it, mostly because I first heard it over my shitty pc speakers (I should have known better but I was too excited to hear their new stuff!), but once I heard it on my headphones I was blown away…
It’s definitely a divisive one, most of my friends that enjoy the rest of their stuff are pretty meh on it but I can’t get enough of it. I definitely haven’t played any other album start to finish even half as much as that one.
My sensory issues are mostly smell and “human” noises. It drives me fucking crazy hearing someone with a whistle in their nose, or loud breathing, or smacking their lips, etc.
This specific thing even has a name, but I forgot what it’s called right now. It’s annoying because, well, it makes me irrationally irritated firsr of all, but second it’s not like I can ask someone to just… not be human. No matter how politely I phrase it.
And above all that: It’s triggered by a lot of “stimming” activities, which I even have myself with bouncing my legs. So I even irritate my own damn self.
Misophonia!
One of my students had that as well as a tic response to also mimic the noise, it was torturous for her. Hers was also in response to an involuntary human noise.
I like some mouth sounds in my ASMR. However I CANNOT be around some people when they eat. I just have to remove myself because the alternative is letting them know what is so infuriating and, as you said, no polite way to say it or make folks really understand.
I’m also a monster with my clicky keyboard and ticks, they help me stay focused, but I make sure to only have my clicky keyboard in my own space :/
I might be a weirdo but I will click a clickable pen almost 99% of the time, but with others around I will make a conscious effort to muffle the click noise.
And I may or may not even hear someone else doing it as I kinda find it soothing, as long as they keep a rhythm. Don’t be the all over the place click monster!
Well, am pen-clicking and leg-shaking because adhd, so while I sympathize and will stop, it’ll start again in like 2min. I’m fidgity so I barely notice it consciously anymore and straight up forgot you just asked me to stop, :D.
Yuh, that’s partially cause those noises (music) are pleasurable, I’ve been getting into Waterparks recently and some of their songs give me the tingling feeling all around my shoulders and head that I’ve been missing from Deathcore bands (my most recent obsession) recently.
The clicking of pens on the other hand…
Honestly, yeah. How do you explain that? You kinda just have to hope that the other person respects your wish and stops.
Click back. The only pleasure they get from clicking is if it’s their own clicking.
They don’t make me cry, but they do trigger my fight-or-fight response. The joys of misophonia…