Back when I'd sometimes be on group trips rooming with other people, the nails on blackboard thing for me was when the first thing someone would do in a hotel room was turn on the TV. Admittedly, my brother does it at his house as well.

For me background noise is good for mind silence so I think people agree with your end but need different means to get there.

Silence is unnatural. Most of humanity's ancestors grew up in the wilderness that was replete with noises.

A forest on a still night is much quieter than most urban areas.

Yes, but not silent.

There's nature not-silence--or a computer-generated version of same--and there's TV (or even music for the most part). Also tons of sounds in my house even if I don't put something on but mostly want to work without added inputs.

Exactly. Some steady sounds mask the intermittent sounds that are otherwise more interruptive.