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?

Screaming, shrieking and whooping...

Some neighbours who i don't know - back gardens close to back gardens - a few doors up tend to have (fortunately only once or twice a year) parties that go on until 2am and if it was just the music or talking fine, it's not often

But do you really fucking need to whoop and holler whenever a track you probably chose yourself comes on? FFS

I’m not taking it personally, you and others tagged me so I replied.

Thats what you do isn’t it lol.

The thread was about big bro contestants screaming and myself and others said that when people are excited or nervous they sometimes scream, include alcohol and it’s going to be louder.

There have been some vile posts on here but that’s what MN is getting like now.

I remember when my friend (who was told both her and her DH had a very low chance of conceiving) told me she was pregnant.

We cried and I hugged her and then we sort of held hands and was saying stuff like that’s amazing etc and we just started jumping up and down screaming, whilst still holding hands.

Then her DH came over and I hugged him and then all 3 of us was holding hands in a circle, jumping up and down, screaming.

It was so weird to think about it now but it’s one of my best memories and definitely one of their best memories.

I struggle to believe that there are genuinely people out there who would be judging and hating on us, as we weren’t being very loud or doing it for attention.

Although I do remember at my friends baby shower, a very rude man told her that no one gives a fuck about her and her baby and that she’s just a fat slag - and we definitely weren’t screaming or being loud then, we were just minding our business, so I guess some people are just miserable.

@1month I'm guessing when you say 'screaming' that you don't mean what most people would call screaming? Screaming, to most people is a loud noise that would draw attention.

screaming
/ˈskriːmɪŋ/
noun
long, loud piercing cries expressing extreme emotion or pain.
"neighbours heard screaming and shouting and decided to dial 999"

I think so too

It's interesting you posted this OP, I was wondering today why everyone has to whoop and scream these days and why people can't just clap. It is really annoying!

And to the pp - it's nothing to do with "parenting". We're talking about adults, where parental influence waned years or decades ago!

Overt displays of emotion are unseemly and, frankly, un-British. This emotional incontinence seems to have started at the time of Princess Diana’s death and is only worsening.

My COO at work screams a lot in excitement. I do find it a bit odd. The

Thank you OP. News today is so depressing that I've been watching old Come Dine With Me on Nflix. I've just switched it off because the women screaming at each other in greeting when opening the door to people they've never met before has made my bloody ears ring. Argh.

Do that shit at home, its completely inappropriate in public. Holding hands in a circle, jumping up and down and screaming, in a public place?
You were loud and you were doing it for attention.

It was in her driveway 🤔
Hardly in the middle of Oxford street.

She wasn’t doing it for attention.
She was doing it because she just had the greatest news ever.

Luckily no one pissed on her chips and told her to stop crying because she was an attention seeker.

I know it was a happy occasion and all, but to be honest I'm not sure I would want to encourage a newly pregnant woman to jump up and down, especially if they'd had trouble conceiving.

This is why I avoid reality TV - I can't bear the histrionics.

Wow I log back on after work and find I've opened a can of worms 😂

Glad it's not just me though. I was half expecting a pasting!

No it's annoying yank style behaviour

Yanbu. I have never wooed, wooped, shrieked or screamed as a greeting or to express happiness or at an event. I find the behaviour incomprehensible but from what I can tell, it’s me whose abnormal.

Im quite excitable 🤣... I do go yayyyyyyy!!!! And bounce up and down 🤣... especially if good news for someone or im excited or excited for them..or if i see someone ive not seen for ages. Im not young im 50 😁 xxx

The mums at some of the local competitions, where their children were competing, had to be told to stop whooping and screaming as it was putting people off. It's copied straight off Dance Moms (US) in those cases, as the parents there used to do it.

You can comment on it, yes. But equally you need to accept that other people will interpret that as you being a sneering whinger.

I never scream but if that’s how other people express excitement, so what? It’s no skin off my nose.

If you didn't risk alarming others (or set off any dogs) then it's not really relevant.

Bah!

Well that's fair enough as long as we can also interpret you as being a rude and censoring person, trying to dictate what people should and shouldn't be posting,

AIBU to not get why grown adults do this

You are most definitely not being unreasonable.

I wish there were hidden snipers that took these arseholes out when they did it.

Along with noisy motorbikes too.

Yanbu OP I HATE this stupid behaviour, tbh I even hate it when children shout and scream for no reason but at least they sort of have an excuse as they don't know any better. I am very sensitive to loud noises (always have been, even as a kid) to the point of it being physically painful sometimes so it's more than just extremely annoying.

My birthday meal this year was basically ruined. Dp and I went to a lovely restaurant that I'd been wanting to go to for ages and then had the misfortune to sit next to a table full of screamers who jumped up and shouted OOOOMMMGGG GEMMMMMAAAAA!!! at the top of their lungs every single time one of their friends (who they presumably invited to the restaurant and were expecting to see) every time another person joined their table. Dp and I could barely have a conversation because we couldn't hear each other over their screeching! It was so rude and antisocial, I'm sure we weren't the only ones pissed off by it.