We all agree that some teenagers can be a bit more chaotic than the rest, but certain “solutions” proposed by adults have been highly controversial, and a good example is the Mosquitono. In essence, the Mosquitono is a sonic device designed to prevent young people from gathering in specific places and “causing problems”. Store owners and authorities swear by its effectiveness, but other organizations have declared it discriminatory, and a violation of human rights.
A device born from a personal experience
At first glance it looks like a speaker protected by a metal box, an alarm, or part of a building’s ventilation system. In practice, the Mosquitono is a device wrapped in debate, studies, and controversy. It all began in 2005, when Howard Stapleton decided to put into practice an idea that had been with him for years (a nearby factory made a specific noise that irritated him greatly when he was a child). The trigger was a group of boys, between 12 and 15 years old, who bothered his 17-year-old daughter at the door of the store where she had gone to buy milk. Stapleton designed the original version of the Mosquitono, and in a short time launched it on the market through his security company.
A sound only the youngest can hear
The Mosquitono takes advantage of the presbycusis effect (natural loss of hearing ability in the high-frequency range), generating a 17.4 kHz tone that can only be heard by the youngest. Later revisions of the Mosquitono also include a second configuration at 8 kHz (which reaches all ages), a maximum sound pressure of 108 decibels, and a range of 40 meters. The pioneers who adopted the Mosquitono were store owners, in an attempt to disperse and keep away young people with “antisocial behavior” who gather nearby and scare off potential customers. In the UK alone, 3,000 Mosquitones were sold during the first three years of availability. The standard model costs £600, while the compact edition (designed for stairs, hallways, and other small spaces) sells for £350.
Controversy and health concerns
As expected, the Mosquitono has detractors and defenders. More than once there have been attempts to ban it, with very mixed results. The Mosquitono had to face the courts of Belgium and France, and in other countries its mere use can be considered a form of assault (under the label of “sonic weapon”). At the same time, the Mosquitono is accused of demonizing children and young people, violating their rights. The most serious aspect of the Mosquito affects the health of exposed individuals. Studies done to date are inconclusive, but different groups dedicated to autism awareness highlighted the risks of the Mosquitono due to the auditory hypersensitivity of many autistics. Have you seen or heard a Mosquitono in action?
