h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I think it's a vile device. I don't see why teenagers shouldn't be allowed to gather - okay, it's intimidating, but if you're under eigtheen there is really nothing to else to do. It's not actually fun, but it beats being at home, on your own every single night from five onwards. Here's a little survey to jolt people's memories - you can't drive, you can't go into pubs, you can't afford to go to a resteraunt or anything like that, your parents will freak if you bring more than about two mates home (you treat this house like a hotel...) and you want to chat and have some leisure time.

Some places have good youth clubs, but in most they only run one night a week and are run by very annoying boy-scout types who freak if people smoke / talk to a member of the opposite sex, and there tend to only be one or two per town. Which is great, until you consider they can be very clique-y. What do you do with yourself?

I can pretty much guareentee that anyone with half a brain would really rather be anywhere else. Plus, if you treat these kids, already dissaffected, bored, and feeling victimised (teenagers, people...) like criminals I suspect it'll prove a self fulfilling prophecy. I'm amazed that anyone thinks this is a good idea.

but whats incredible is no one thinks of the fun teenagers could have with this mosquito

remember the lazers and the hi-power water pistols

hail to the dennis the menaces of the 21st century's first social annoying device!

Hi alysdragon

Yes, we wouldn't have needed these things a few years ago when teenagers were children and spent time with their families.

Hi mamuomar

I did mention the ringtones in the entry, but I read that someone's also composed some music in the mosquito frequency range. Something tells me I'm not too disappointed at not being able to hear it, though.

In the Peer review thread, a couple of researchers said that when they were student engineers they had fun deafening each other while designing and building amplifiers.

Icy

Yes, it does seem a bit mean, but the worst you can say about the device is that it is a noise nuisance to young people. I'm fairly sure it wouldn't be much use against anti-social youth as they would target the area and trash it. Some might find it a challenge to disable the device.
Incidentally I use a similar device to dissuade cats from using my garden as a toilet. Bring on the animal rights brigade

Interesting. Does the cat mosquito work? Do you have a link for it?

I used to have one to fight away cockroaches, too

Does it work on slugs? Yeah, that's the problem, it'll just annoy and isolate the alright teenagers. The really evil ones will destroy it. I'm more worried about teen depression, suicide and isolation, honestly. Have teenagers ever spent time with their families? Really?

Well, yes, and not that long ago - and they still do in many parts of the world.

Did you ever watch those 1950's school-type TV shows a couple of years back, when they took a group of school pupils and put them through a mock-up of an old-fashioned school? The kids didn't know what had hit them at first - not only were there weird rules, but they were actually enforced. The whole point of it was to show that kids were happier when they were part of a community structure, rather than leading the feral-type existence that many do today. And the kids were happier for it.

That recent show "The Choir" was on a similar theme.

Schools provided the community during the daytime, and families did during the evening. Even if it was just sitting around the TV watching "Play Your Cards Right", families were together, and spoke to each other. Kids broke away eventually, but at an age when they were mature enough to cope with independence.

What I think I meant is that people generally prefer spending time with their friends... A good social structure is very important, and I always was happy spending time with my parents and their friends as a teenager, but I had more fun with my age group. The thing is, my parents were good people and (generally) enjoyed bringing me up. a lot of people's parents don't want them about the house.