Younger adults are far more likely than older adults to prefer to set the TV volume to a specific type of number (even, odd, or multiple of 5). In fact, among younger U.S. adults, it can be considered more of a quirk to not have a specific TV volume preference.

Data Source: CivicScience InsightStore
Visualization: Infogram

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Posted by CivicScienceInsights

33 comments

  1. lol I love these niche surveys, I do wonder what drives small generational rifts like these

  3. My TV’s volume scale goes to 100 but my sound system only goes to 50. Therefore the TV only allows incrementing to even numbers.

  4. Could it be that older people didn’t have TVs displaying the numbers of the volume for most of their life? I remember old TVs only had a bar.

  6. Anyone else remember decades ago when they passed a law that all new TVs would have “Smart Volume” so commercials wouldn’t blast louder than the show you had been watching? That didn’t last.

  8. i like putting the volume at an odd number solely cause it pisses my wife off

  9. Interesting concept for a survey and interesting results too. I don’t think I’ve ever spent ten seconds in my life thinking about the precise volume number on the TV. If it’s too quiet, I turn it up until I can hear. If it’s too loud, I turn it down until I’m comfortable. If commercials come on, I mute it.

    I’m actually fascinated that the survey designer got 20K+ responses to this with so many people having a preference. Is it a borderline OCD thing? If so, does that manifest itself more in younger generations due to stuff like the internet always being available?

  11. After reading the title I thought it was going to be interesting like how loud people like it or different rate of hearing loss, but this is just stupid.

  13. My TV with my soundbar connected doesn’t display numbers or a volume level bar.

  14. I turn the TV up or down until it is a comfortable listing volume. Which varies quite a bit depending on what I’m watching. I couldn’t care less what the number says. This is a hard one for me to fathom.

  15. I had no idea anyone does or even would care what number the volume is on. This seems absolutely demented to me.

  17. Why is “no opinion” separate from “it doesn’t matter”?

  18. WTF is wrong with these people? The kids are NOT okay!

  19. The survey should ask number DIVISIBLE by 5, not number ENDING in 5. Thus, ending in either 5 or 0. And yes, I clarify this because that’s how I set the volume

  20. I’m surprised at how many odd number psychopaths are walking among us…

  21. Where are my “multiple of 3” freaks at? Or is that just me?

  22. I think this is actually pretty simple – as people age they have a lot less time and bandwidth to care about things like this. When I was younger I would definitely pay attention to this. Now with 2 young kids and a demanding job, I don’t have the energy to even register things like that.

  23. My TV is hooked up to a sounds system which measures its output in decibels with reference “0” being the loudest it can go without clipping. Therefore it always has to be set at a NEGATIVE number. I usually use -23.7 if other people are sleeping in the adjacent room, or -19.1 if I can be as loud as I want.

    Take that, survey!

  24. 55 and up only answered

    ‘No, it doesn’t matter to me’

    Because ‘Triple digits only’ wasn’t an option.

  25. I would firmly be in the “Other” category. Even numbers or divisible by 5, but if a number is adjacent to a number ending in 5, then the number ending in 5 is preferable. Example: 2, 5, 8, 10, 12, 15, 18, 20, etc.

  26. My generation will start a revolution.

    Your generation can’t even leave the TV volume on a odd number that isn’t 5.

  30. WTH would the NUMBER matter? It’s the *volume* that’s the point.

  32. Then there is me. Either divisible by 2, 5 or 9.

    Yes im a freak.

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