Modern society is too overstimulating by Aaron Tanner

For those who have read my previous blog posts on Tennessee Valley Unite, I am on the Autism spectrum. Like many with the condition, I suffer from sensory processing disorder. As a result, I can sometimes have meltdowns when I am overstimulated.

Between being a highly-sensitive introvert and having sensory issues, I think modern society is too overstimulating, at least here in America. Sometimes I think I have more meltdowns as an adult than when I was younger because there is too much noise, and things move too fast in our current culture for my liking. For example, I do not understand why there has to be music playing so loud when I shop for groceries. Sometimes I’ve had to decompress after being in a retail store due to the noise.

Speaking of music, as a teenager and young adult, I enjoyed listening to pop music on the local top 40 radio station. When I would listen to artists like Christina Aguilera and N'Sync, I felt happy with life, and their voices weren't so distracting. Today, I cannot listen to top 40 radio, or even most commercial radio stations in general, because the music is too loud, repetitive, and negative.

Another example of overstimulation is in the classroom. Used to, students read the material that they needed to learn via physical books, which was easy on the eyes, and class sizes were more manageable. Many classrooms today are too noisy with too many students in one room and a lot of material done on tablets which can be distracting if done for too long. Many parents who frequent the Tennessee Valley Unite support Facebook page can attest to this issue with your school-ae child.

Good schools and an abundance of jobs have resulted in tremendous growth in north Alabama over the past decade. I remember when life wasn't so fast-paced in Huntsville and there was not so much traffic or distractions from construction and electronic billboards. I felt more at ease driving. Now driving around Huntsville is getting to be more distracting with the uncontrolled urban sprawl and drivers not paying attention.

I could post thousands of words long with how distracting society is today. Do not get me started on the endless streaming entertainment options, social media avenues, and children's toys that beep and boop. Sometimes I want to live in a third-world country to get away from the noise.

To stop modern society's overstimulation, one has to cut out the clutter intentionally. One may not be able to control how loud the music is at work or leisurely places like ballparks and restaurants. However, one does have some control in their home environment.

I admit I'm sometimes guilty of being on YouTube too much on my phone. However, I try and schedule times in my room where there is silence to collect my thoughts. Instead of being on my phone, I will journal or read a book.

In my car, there are times I will leave the radio off so I can focus on traffic. When I want some music in my car, I listen to old hymns and piano music on 91.7 FM in the Huntsville market. Books on CD or Audible are another alternative to overstimulating radio stations.  

If you have a special needs child with a sensory processing disorder, it's essential to keep your home as sensory-friendly as possible. For example, don’t have your phone or television going all the time as background noise. Your home might be the only place they can decompress from modern society's overstimulating noise and chaos.

Do you find modern society too overstimulating? Comment in the section below.