Britain should pair fines for loud public audio with civic education
Emily Bratt argues that fines for people who play audio aloud in public may help, but will not solve antisocial behaviour on their own. Drawing on her experience living and working in Japan, she says Britain should also teach civic responsibility and rebuild social norms that encourage consideration for others.
Bratt describes Japanese school pupils helping to clean and care for shared spaces as part of their education, reflecting the principle of avoiding inconvenience to others. She says Japan’s public spaces are generally clean and crime rates comparatively low, while acknowledging that Japanese society has its own flaws. In the UK, almost half of people play phone content without headphones, and the proposed fines would need to be enforced by safety officers or police; Bratt also calls for etiquette education, including in schools.
In short
- Fines alone are unlikely to stop loud audio in public.
- Bratt points to Japanese schools’ focus on shared responsibility.
- She calls for enforcement and renewed civic education.
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The case for
Fines could give people a clear, enforceable reason to use headphones and help protect others from unwanted noise in shared spaces. Supporters may see them as a practical response to a widespread nuisance, especially if rules are clear and applied consistently.
The case against
Fines alone may treat a symptom without building the everyday consideration that makes shared spaces pleasant, and enforcement could divert officers from other duties or be applied unevenly. Supporters of civic education argue that teaching respect for shared spaces from an early age could strengthen lasting social norms, with penalties reserved for cases where guidance is not enough.
Explained simply
Playing audio aloud on phones or other devices can affect people sharing public spaces such as buses, trains and parks. In Britain, a proposal to fine people for doing so is part of a wider debate about how to discourage behaviour that causes annoyance or disruption.
Emily Bratt, who has lived and worked in Japan, argues that rules and fines may need to be accompanied by education about consideration for others. She points to Japanese schools, where pupils help look after shared spaces, as one example of how social habits can be taught.
The discussion matters because any fines would need to be enforced by safety staff or police, while education aims to shape behaviour over time. Japan and Britain have different social practices, and comparisons between them do not by themselves show which approach would work best.
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Originally published by The Guardian as “Fine ‘headphone dodgers’ if you will, but to really tackle antisocial behaviour, Britain should look to Japan | Emily Bratt”.