A West Virginia mom is getting significant attention on TikTok for using an ordinary garden setting to highlight a disturbing issue: nearby large-scale infrastructure can transform the sound of daily life.
By layering harsh industrial noise over a calm domestic backdrop, her video suggests what neighbors of a data center may have to live with.
What happened?
In a recent TikTok post, creator The Appalachian Mama (@theappalachianmama) used a simulated audio track to represent the continuous hum residents say comes from large data centers.
@the_appalachian_mama Imagine hearing this 24/7. This is the reality of living close to a data center. It's a constant droning sound. And no, there isn't a data center nearby this particular footage. But I am simulating what a lot of Americans are facing in their own homes right now. Sound comes from More Perfect Union which features an actual data center. So no, not over dramatized or edited - this is the reality that is coming to WV. #POV #datacenter #westvirginia #utah ♬ original sound - More Perfect Union
In the caption, she states, "Imagine hearing this 24/7. This is the reality of living close to a data center. It's a constant droning sound."
She said the quiet home footage was not recorded near such a facility and explained that it was meant to demonstrate a real experience, writing, "And no, there isn't a data center nearby this particular footage. But I am simulating what a lot of Americans are facing in their own homes right now."
She also said the audio "comes from More Perfect Union which features an actual data center" and described it as "not over dramatized or edited - this is the reality that is coming to WV."
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Why does it matter?
The issue is not just abstract technology growth. It can mean round-the-clock fan noise, more industrial activity, and concerns about how those changes affect sleep, stress, and everyday quality of life.
One commenter said, "I genuinely do not understand why we suddenly need these data centers why do they need to be so large why do they need to drain so many resources so quickly why do they need to be so close to the general population why do they need to make THAT sound at all times."
"Never-ending noise is literally psychological torture at a point," one commenter wrote.
"The migraines I would have from this would be astronomical," another added.
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