Grown adults screaming when excited... just WHY?

[peakyblenders]

Inspired by last night's Big Brother - granted, people who go on Big Brother aren't exactly representative of the average person, but I'm noticing this in real life too and it bugs me no end.

I lost count of the number of times in last night's episode housemates randomly went 'AAAAAH!' for no reason whatsoever other than (presumably) being excited. Granted I'm an introvert, but I just can't understand why an adult would express excitement by screaming. Exclaiming loudly, yes, that's pretty standard. But that wordless 'AAAAAH!'? It truly baffles me.

This has been in the back of my mind lately because I feel I'm noticing it more in day-to-day life. I'm not talking young things in nightclubs, I'm seeing it in how people interact generally when excited. Example: I passed a woman on the street a few weeks ago who seemed to have spotted someone she knew and, as far as I could gather, hadn't seen in a while. She was clearly excited to see the other person, but instead of using actual words to express that she stood on the spot, assumed a position like she was laying an egg, and literally just went ‘AAAAAAAAAH!’ Then a very shrieky, huggy greeting as you'd maybe expect in the circumstances, but that initial ‘AAAAAAAAAH!’ totally bemused me. As does adults screaming in excitement generally. It just wouldn't occur to me to scream because I was excited.

AIBU to not get why grown adults do this?

@1month I’m going to guess you are either a teenager or early twenties. Screaming at meeting a friend or other ‘excitable’ things that don’t really merit a scream don’t tend to be done by more mature adults. That’s not because they’re humourless or uptight, you just grow out of it, like any behaviour that is predominately the domain of children. It’s just a natural progression. I can get very excited about things but it doesn’t translate into screaming.

A squeal of delight isn’t the same as a performative scream.

I didn’t read you’re autistic until just now. Maybe that is why you have a different take on screaming when meeting a friend. People around you aren’t going to know so they’ll just feel the irritation of what seems like performative screaming/screeching.

Oh god, the whooping and ululating and shrieking at the theatre - for even the most mediocre performance. It's literally painful if you're sitting next to one of them.
I agree with @grassy82. We didn't shriek like this even as children.
I was at a friend's degree ceremony - admittedly not at a prestigious university - and the parents were doing this.

See also wide open mouth with hand in front of it, in the way you only used to see in cartoons.

I hate this. It's so childish and I've never felt the need to do it. I'm also sensitive to noise (autistic!) and if someone unexpectedly screams near me it makes me jump and is very unpleasant for me. To me, screaming is something you do if you're very frightened or in a lot of pain.

As a teenager I was incredibly embarrassed because a band visited our school and other girls followed them around screaming wordlessly. It reminded me of a pack of animals and made no sense at all. I'd much rather have exchanged a few words with one of the band members - it wasn't a performance, they were just walking around - but couldn't get anywhere close because of the screamy mob.

I don't think it's something everyone does! I once received some extremely good news via email - I gasped in surprise and was very smiley for a while. Screaming would have been a bizarre reaction. I do the flappy hands stim thing when I'm very happy too but only in private - and silently! - because I know others would find it odd.

Or, as she has said many times, she is autistic which has fuck all to do with maturity.

Also, it seems that many posters here are very performative with their faux concern for how screaming might affect ND people yet fail to consider that some ND people may scream/stim when they are excited.

Only joined this thread to say this 🤣🤣🤣

I dislike it, but I guess the way we “perform” emotion in public is very culturally driven.

it makes me think of grief, and how in some cultures it wouldn’t be remarked upon for someone to scream and cry out, whereas in a typical English funeral people tend to keep it inside. I don’t think it means one person is grieving more than the other, but their cultures have guided them to demonstrate that grief in different ways.

The same is try (to an extent) with squealing. In some social circles it is not just tolerated but almost encouraged - if you don’t perform your excitement loudly enough people might start to question whether you are enjoying yourself. From there it is a small step to being the outsider, not part of the gang. So you mirror their performative screaming to stay included, to demonstrate your belonging (and emphasis the difference between the loud fun in-group and the dull staid out-group of bystanders).

Always done by an attention seeking moron with the mental age of 3.

Grassy82 I agree with you 100%. I work in a supermarket, and the number of children who scream relentlessly is unbelievable.
I totally understand that some children have sensory issues/SEND. But I don't think it can possibly be every one of these screechers.
There appears to be a direct correlation between a lot of the screamers and the parents who either ignore them, and/or are glued to their phones.
I've talked to my sister in law (who teaches reception class) and she says this is an issue too. Reckons a lot of it's attention seeking. She tells them they can scream, but they should do it with their mouth shut "because there's a fly, and it might fly into your mouth if you keep it open."

Agree with this. A while back on a casual night at the pub two of our friendship group who no longer live in the same country casually walked in, having arranged to come and surprise the rest of us for a weekend. Screaming ensued.

I wouldn't scream at someone I'm expecting to see, or am likely to see (ie: we live in the same place and I just bump into them).

Thank god someone said it early on.

Wtf is wrong with people on here.

But I’ve never said I’m loud with it, so what’s the harm?

You could be in the same shop as me and not even notice because I’m shouting my lungs out.

The posters who have said they scream have all said they don’t do it loudly, so who are we hurting?

Surely everyone let’s out a little scream (even a teeny, tiny eek) when something amazing has happened?
If not what do they do?

If you were to just get some amazing news like winning the lottery, winning a once in a lifetime opportunity holiday or finding out you’re pregnant after years of infertility, what would you do?

Most people would probably cry initially but then let out a scream, even if it’s a tiny one.

Because they see it on TV and think it's normal.

Surely everyone let’s out a little scream (even a teeny, tiny eek) when something amazing has happened?
If not what do they do?

If you were to just get some amazing news like winning the lottery, winning a once in a lifetime opportunity holiday or finding out you’re pregnant after years of infertility, what would you do?

I'm actually more likely to be dumbstruck by something like that. At most I gasp a bit or say something like "Wow!". Definitely no shouting or screaming.

No. It is my business.

It's not faux concern, I am autistic. If another autistic person genuinely can't help it, as in they would do it at a funeral, then fair enough!

She does it because she chooses to.

This thread is about squealing when you are happy and excited. Do you often find funerals exciting?

I don’t think that’s what this thread is about though. It’s about people who scream loudly in public when it’s (most likely) not really merited. Schoolgirls screeching at each other like long lost relatives when they just saw them at school, someone meeting a friend who they have seen recently etc. I don’t think the thread would have been started if it was just about restrained squealing. Not sure why you are taking the thread so personally, it was written about you. 🤷‍♀️

🤣

Actually a stick up the rear is what these loud look-at-me types need, rammed in really hard.

If they saw someone they hadn't seen in years as mentioned as an example previously. Or if something was funny. Or switch funeral for any inappropriate occasion.

The first contestant into the BB house last night was screaming at nothing. No one else was there. He just fancied screaming. Irritating great lump

This reminds me of the time I was walking towards a crossing near the local primary school when a toddler escaped her mum and ran towards the road. There were a couple of woman chatting to each other who just stood there and shrieked, though they could both of them easily have put a hand out and stopped the child. I got the distinct feeling that, for them, it was a nice bit of drama that they were merely watching and enjoying, as if they were watching it on telly, and it just never occurred to them that they were actually part of it or could prevent it.

Happily the toddler's mother got to her in time to stop anything horrible happening, and the shrieking suddenly cut off as if the onlookers were disappointed that their entertainment wasn't going to happen.

Embarrassing for the screamers. Mostly a way of drawing attention to yourself away from the person you profess you are so excited to see.

Anyway, it tells you who the ego driven extroverts are if nothing else.