When was the last time you experienced silence? True, unadulterated peace and quiet without interruption.
In an age of digital noise and constant background chatter there are few places left for silent contemplation. Commuters watch cat videos without headphones on public transport, while parents let their children play electronic games in restaurants.
The insidious hum of digital devices has even infiltrated our libraries, art galleries and nature spots – once considered quiet retreats.
A leading American cinema chain's recent proposal to allow mobile phones in movie theatres was branded the "end of civilisation", sparking horror among those who cherish the opportunity to switch off.
It begs the question: as this cacophony of sound amplifies can we still expect the right to remain silent?
"Noise pollution is fast emerging as a central, global social problem for which at the moment there are only more and more individualised answers. It's not like we can address this socially, or a government can legislate on it," Anthony Elliott, research professor of sociology at the University of South Australia, says.
The "tsunami of technological change" has blurred the lines between public and private space, Elliott says. Being plugged into our own virtual world has taught us to be less concerned with those around us.
On public transport people loudly air personal conversations on their mobile phones or apply a full face of make-up on the way to work.
"You previously did these things away from public view but now those kinds of backstage activities are increasingly becoming front-stage activities with people not so much caring who sees or hears."
Etiquette expert Anna Masson says manners had not evolved in step with advancing technology, and intrusive noise was a growing irritation for many.
"We are losing our self-awareness and we are losing our perspective on how our conduct affects others so we see this rise in the 'because I can I will' attitude."
But she says it could not simply be explained by generational differences. "When we hear people say, 'manners were so much better in my day' it's because we didn't have any other option but sitting there quietly so we just did. Now, anyone who is distracted, we think, 'well, I'm bored so I'm just going to play that, watch that, listen to that' without thinking, 'could that be annoying to others?' 'Should I use my headphones?'"
Masson says public noise etiquette is likely to evolve as it has in countries like Japan, where signs on public transport urge passengers not to speak on mobile phones and to put them on silent mode.
Indeed, V-Line already has quiet carriages across its network after passengers asked for a more peaceful commute.
In researching this story, Fairfax Media was inundated with readers' tales of noise pollution in places they had previously expected to experience relative peace.
Many complained of the constant beeping and pinging of games or movies played on devices with no headphones, particularly in restaurants and on aircraft and public transport.
In yoga classes and even during a massage there were reports of loud calls on speakerphone or unplugged Facetime and Skype conversations.
Libraries were a particular bugbear, transformed in 21st century life from places of silent study to bustling community hubs.
Matthew van Hasselt from State Library of Victoria says it is important to maintain quiet workspaces but there has been a shift in the way libraries are being used in recent decades, with free WiFi and more information delivered in electronic form.
"When you have a generation who have grown up with devices and use them as a vital tool in their interaction with an institution – and we're seeing this in galleries and museums around the world – the answer isn't as simple as just turning it off because you're actually removing a really powerful tool for engagement in new ways that haven't previously been available," he says.
But it's not just in our public institutions that the volume is being turned up. While once we might have expected a secluded beach or remote hilltop to be a place of silent reflection, increasingly our natural landscape is being invaded by unwanted noise.
Former travel writer Luke Wright, now on an extended trip through south-east Asia, says backpackers are glued to their phones and he is frustrated by the way digital noise has affected his experience.
"I recently had a drone hover above me and my partner as we took an evening swim on a quiet, beautiful beach in Thailand. It was a loud and kind of creepy experience, and it really took all our attention away from a lovely moment. Afterwards I saw the guy who was piloting the thing – with huge headphones and goggles on – and went quite close to asking him to leave the beach," he says.
"I can live with people quietly pawing away at a smartphone while a lovely sunset passes them by, but when the technology starts to impinge on me enjoying that sunset myself I think things have gone too far."
The consequences of this auditory overload are already being felt. A meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science last year heard that younger generations are at risk of "learned deafness", as the constant use of earphones plugged into digital devices leaves them unable to hear natural sounds such as birdsong, trickling water and trees rustling.
Philosopher and writer Damon Young says it is important to maintain quiet for our sense of self.
"You need those spaces to have time to reflect, to think, to meditate, to daydream. Philosophically that's really important because it's very easy to be constantly busy, to be constantly functional and serving some end. You often do need to stop and reflect on those ends and whether they're worthwhile."
In the heart of Melbourne's busy CBD, is one such space: Mingary,The Quiet Place, nestled inside St Michael's Uniting Church on Collins Street.
The church's executive minister, Dr Francis Macnab, created this peaceful sanctuary as a non-denominational "escape from the hectic demands of city life", particularly for those who have suffered trauma or tragedy.
In a gently lit room with a handful of chairs and a traumatised rock sculpture at its centre, people from all backgrounds come to find quiet.
"There is the trauma of the past in the rock, there is the quietness of the present in the water and there is the shaft of light on the east wall symbolising a new day for the future," Dr Macnab says.
"In terms of physical and mental health we all need to stop and listen to our own inner space, or listen to the quietness of space around us instead of the noise of traffic and loud music.
"Quietness is a very therapeutic thing but it takes a lot of cultivating, you need to practice."
