Extreme sensitivity to TV commercials

Page 1 of 3 [ 45 posts ]  Go to page 1, 2, 3  Next

cjaml
Emu Egg
Emu Egg

User avatar

Joined: 17 Jan 2011
Gender: Male
Posts: 3

18 Jan 2011, 3:13 pm

My 7 year old autistic son has become extremely sensitive to the sound produced by TV commercials in the last 90 days or so. He can sit with the family and watch just about any TV show, but the second the commercial is on he immediately runs out of the room covering his ears. Of course we can mute the TV, and we can forward past the commercials when the DVR is being used. His speaking ability is limited, but he has told us 'it hurts".

He has always been sensitive to cell phone and telephone ringers, and very sensitive to the drive-thru speakers at McDonalds, but TV commercials are a new problem.

I have done some reading about Hyperacusis and related afflictions, but not sure if these are related to my sons problemm.

My concern is that his hearing sensitivities are getting worse. Can anybody please help us understand what we might be able to do to ease his pain? thank you



Mindslave
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 14 Nov 2010
Age: 35
Gender: Male
Posts: 2,034
Location: Where the wild things wish they were

18 Jan 2011, 3:15 pm

Your son is a visionary! Commercials suck!



MidlifeAspie
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 1 Nov 2010
Age: 47
Gender: Male
Posts: 3,016

18 Jan 2011, 3:22 pm

Use a DVR and fast forward past the commercials. Turn the volume down? TV commercials make me want to tear my hair out.



Severus
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 9 Sep 2010
Age: 48
Gender: Female
Posts: 719

18 Jan 2011, 3:22 pm

I do understand your concern, TV commercials are very hard to avoid. There is an option in almost every modern TV set, I think it is called Steady Sound in Sony Bravia that is presumably designed to level out the sound of the incoming commercials with whatever's been on before that so that you won't be drowned in the jingle.
You might want to try that. But it does not work for everybody. I am very sorry to say that still I do exactly what your son does - cover my ears up and try to leave the room whenever the commercials pop up or else I might get so wound up in a second that I might throw the adult equivalent of a tantrum. Believe what your son tells you, it really hurts.
Or, alternatively, I wear earmuffs when the TV is on, it is only my husband that watches TV anyway at our home.



cjaml
Emu Egg
Emu Egg

User avatar

Joined: 17 Jan 2011
Gender: Male
Posts: 3

18 Jan 2011, 3:25 pm

@Severus, is there something different about the commercials, besides the volume? I will check to see if my TV set can level out the sound as you suggest. thx



kfisherx
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 3 Nov 2010
Age: 60
Gender: Female
Posts: 1,192

18 Jan 2011, 3:27 pm

I have the same problem when watching TV. The commercials are really loud. I have to turn them way down or mute them too. Don't watch enough TV to do anything differnt. :)



Severus
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 9 Sep 2010
Age: 48
Gender: Female
Posts: 719

18 Jan 2011, 3:29 pm

cjaml wrote:
@Severus, is there something different about the commercials, besides the volume? I will check to see if my TV set can level out the sound as you suggest. thx


Good luck with it. Here's a brief howto:
http://www.ehow.com/how_6921888_set-sou ... ravia.html

Also, not every Sony Bravia lists the option under the same name. For an example, on my TV set it is called 'Auto volume'.

I suppose that there is also the issue of specific frequencies and intonations used in TV commercials. But there's nothing to be done about it, I am afraid.



Cornflake
Administrator
Administrator

User avatar

Joined: 30 Oct 2010
Gender: Male
Posts: 65,510
Location: Over there

18 Jan 2011, 5:42 pm

I think in the UK there is regulation to er, regulate the volume during the ads. to specifically avoid this "blow your ears off" situation.
Doesn't seem to work too well on the whole, because the sheer idiocy of the content is more than annoying, and they're pumped out often enough for me to completely avoid commercial TV where possible.
I do what MidlifeAspie suggests where the commercials are otherwise unavoidable, except I edit them out completely. At least when I finally catch up with the recording, the idiot intrusions are gone.


_________________
Giraffe: a ruminant with a view.


MidlifeAspie
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 1 Nov 2010
Age: 47
Gender: Male
Posts: 3,016

18 Jan 2011, 5:46 pm

Cornflake wrote:
I think in the UK there is regulation to er, regulate the volume during the ads. to specifically avoid this "blow your ears off" situation.
Doesn't seem to work too well on the whole, because the sheer idiocy of the content is more than annoying, and they're pumped out often enough for me to completely avoid commercial TV where possible.
I do what MidlifeAspie suggests where the commercials are otherwise unavoidable, except I edit them out completely. At least when I finally catch up with the recording, the idiot intrusions are gone.


I haven't watched a show that hasn't finished recording in 3 years. If I lost my DVR I would have to stop watching broadcast television.



conundrum
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 25 May 2010
Age: 44
Gender: Female
Posts: 2,922
Location: third rock from one of many suns

18 Jan 2011, 6:19 pm

The commercials are ALWAYS louder than the actual shows. That's driven me nuts for years. Station promos are even worse.

Also: they're brighter and flashier, and a lot more is going on in a shorter amount of time. The entire point is to get the viewers' attention quickly. All of that combined is probably what your son finds overwhelming.

I would agree that skipping the commercials whenever possible would be the best thing.


_________________
The existence of the leader who is wise
is barely known to those he leads.
He acts without unnecessary speech,
so that the people say,
'It happened of its own accord.' -Tao Te Ching, Verse 17


Nerdykid
Snowy Owl
Snowy Owl

User avatar

Joined: 16 Jan 2011
Age: 40
Gender: Male
Posts: 170

18 Jan 2011, 6:29 pm

I am actually extremely sensitive to commercials as well. They always seem like they are screaming at me no matter how quite the TV is. I usually just mute the TV when Commericals are on.



Cornflake
Administrator
Administrator

User avatar

Joined: 30 Oct 2010
Gender: Male
Posts: 65,510
Location: Over there

18 Jan 2011, 7:21 pm

MidlifeAspie wrote:
I haven't watched a show that hasn't finished recording in 3 years. If I lost my DVR I would have to stop watching broadcast television.

:lol: :lol: Yes indeed!


_________________
Giraffe: a ruminant with a view.


MrXxx
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 11 May 2010
Age: 63
Gender: Male
Posts: 5,760
Location: New England

18 Jan 2011, 7:23 pm

MUTE...

It's my favorite button on the remote! :D


_________________
I'm not likely to be around much longer. As before when I first signed up here years ago, I'm finding that after a long hiatus, and after only a few days back on here, I'm spending way too much time here again already. So I'm requesting my account be locked, banned or whatever. It's just time. Until then, well, I dunno...


Cornflake
Administrator
Administrator

User avatar

Joined: 30 Oct 2010
Gender: Male
Posts: 65,510
Location: Over there

18 Jan 2011, 7:24 pm

conundrum wrote:
Also: they're brighter and flashier, and a lot more is going on in a shorter amount of time. The entire point is to get the viewers' attention quickly.

Yeah, they play that little trick here too. Lots of flashing lights, bright colours and impossibly rapid scene changes.
My instinctive reaction is to look away immediately.


_________________
Giraffe: a ruminant with a view.


Cornflake
Administrator
Administrator

User avatar

Joined: 30 Oct 2010
Gender: Male
Posts: 65,510
Location: Over there

18 Jan 2011, 7:25 pm

MrXxx wrote:
MUTE...

It's my favorite button on the remote! :D

There must be a market for a remote which includes a video mute too! :lol:


_________________
Giraffe: a ruminant with a view.


cjaml
Emu Egg
Emu Egg

User avatar

Joined: 17 Jan 2011
Gender: Male
Posts: 3

18 Jan 2011, 7:26 pm

Thank you to everybody for the detailed replies. Its been very helpful and we will be more diligent about using the DVR and being to sure to have remote in hand and ready to mute.