Those darn kids -- they just don't listen! And soon, according to a report, they won't
physically be able to listen. It seems that modern teens, with their cloaking jackets, space telephones, and telepathic headsets fail to obey the simplest tenet of leisure-time music enjoyment: keeping their iPod and Zune volumes at a semi-natural level. In focus-group discussions, researchers found that high school students in the Netherlands were aware of the potential hearing loss which can be caused by high volume listening, yet had no immediate plans to crank their jams at anything but 11. Typical of our misguided youth, the teens feel that they have a "low personal vulnerability" to hearing loss -- researchers also noted that they believed they were bulletproof, could fly, and would never,
ever lose touch with people who signed their yearbook. The study's findings suggest that the answer to this problem may lie with manufacturers of hardware and solutions like volume caps or warning lights, rather than with the self-control of the end user.
posted March 27th 2008 8:42AM
I grew up in the Walkman days and our high school teachers would always tell us, "You'll be deaf by the time you're 40!" I think that was said out of disgust for these new inventions us kids were carrying with us each day.
I turn 40 next year and still haven't lost my hearing, and I wear an iPod while on the train to work and while walking, but at a tolerable level (unlike those young brats I sit next to).
My high school teachers, on the other hand, are probably all dead by now.
Clearly, I am the real winner here.
CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW?
PLEASE, young folks, SAVE your hearing. I was young long ago and the loud noise of guns caused my hearing to suffer. NOW that I'm an old man, it finally got to the point where I had to get hearing aids. NOT GOOD! Not at all like having my hearing back. I goofed by being careless; I hope YOU are smarter than I am.
I used some of that earwax melting drops and my hearing improved significantly, so now I can turn the volume up even louder.
I guess I fall into that small category of teens that cares about their hearing. Used to listen to my Ipod all the time but not at blasting levels and now I mostly prefer to just listen to the sounds surrounding me.
Anyways, I already have a bad ear that isn't from listening to music so I already can't hear some stuff out one ear.
This article would surprise me a lot more if it read:
"Study finds teens DO really care about their hearing"
As it stands...this is one of the most obvious posts I've read all month. Mark this down in your diaries everyone, Teens do not care about anything that doesn't involve txting, myspace/facebook and the Hills.
In other news, WE'VE LANDED ON THE MOON!
ive been worried about this for a while, and i was wondering, i never raise my mp3 player's volume more than 75%... and it is usually on 68%.
is that ok?
thanks.
These kids have fashion issues....
Lots of interesting comments here. Seems like kids aren't the only ones who don't really care about their hearing...
A couple of facts / thoughts
- It is impossible to determine what is *safe* based on the volume knob. The SPL (sound pressure level) delivered depends on the amplification level, the device producing the sound, and the distance from the device to ear drum.
- Personal music devices (CD Players, MP3 Players, etc) have the potential to be somewhat more dangerous that "blasting your stereo speakers". Few of us blasted our stereo speakers for the length of time that many people today listen to their personal devices. Saving the lecture on ear anatomy for another time, your ears can only handle so much energy before you experience hearing loss. This energy can come in a single large dose or a less intense prolonged explosure".
- Somebody asked about "how loud is too loud?"... Well, at an extreme - if you ever hear ringing or that uncomfortable silence - the volume is too loud. If someone else can hear the music through your headphones from a couple of feet away, your volume is probably too loud. If someone has to yell to get your attention while you're wearing headphones, the volume is probably too loud. Beyond this, accurately measuring sound levels requires some pretty sophisticated equipment.
- Somebody else mentioned something about modern studies needing to be taken with a grain of salt. Well, it is true that many of these studies are funded by special interests groups - as is the case with most studies. The comment regarding psychology and psychiatry is somewhat misguided - I am aware of no sound studies utilizing psychiatry. Psychology, yes - and as with most studies, some are good, others not so much so - psychology can offer insights into perceived loudness but not physiological damage. One area to look at is the area of occupational noise exposure - there are substantial bodies of knowledge relating to how the ear responds to different noise levels. As an interesting aside, manufacturers of music devices are not required to abide by occupational noise exposure guidelines as these standards do not apply outside the workplace.
- Lots more could be said here - one point worth mentioning, hearing loss is permanent. "Turn Up the Music" may be macho, but it is also generally misguided. Most people who are casual about hearing loss have never experienced it themselves. Hearing aids help, but there does not exist a procedure similar to laser eye surgery for your ears... Once hearing is gone, it is gone.
I can't be the only one who thinks that the pic shown is rather laughter inciting.
I don't think it's just teens who have a tendency to not care about their hearing. It's alot of people who aren't fully informed about the consequences until it's too late. It's just not losing your hearing... Why would you care if its too loud? Lookup Tinnitus or Hyperacusis. Imagine having a constant loud ringing in your ears for the rest of your life or being overly sensitive to sound. People have this. And it's worse than being deaf.
I'd give up all of my senses, even smision, to be able hear again!
what's self control?
Whoa, listening to ear damagingly loud music is bad? I've never heard of that before! [/sarcasm]
I've been to a few concerts, blasted the speakers a few times, my hearing is fine. Moderation is key.
And this is a surprise to whom?
it should be noted that teens from the Netherlands are diffrent from American teens.
this is america buddy.
See I don't understand this. I'm 16 and I put the volume lock on my ipod so it can't go above half, which is plenty loud for me.
There's this thing called monster tinnitus that can appear after significant ear damage. Normal tinnitus is a ringing in the ears, monster tinnitus is a jet engine roar, an airhorn blasting a few inches from your ear and so on. Children an adults have committed suicide after such has begun.
How many of these kids will have to commit suicide before this is taken seriously?
Yea, and I dont really care about teenagers so I guess we are even.
I bet they will care when they are 30 and already saying "eh, what was that sonny, holding up a hallow ram horn to their ears. I am 25 and I can hear people whispering in another room but that’s because I have always had superman hearing. Lol I love when people say "you could hear that!?" Ah the things I have eavesdropped in on are priceless.
Anyways what were we talking about? Teenagers acne? Yea they suck
You know this is just typical. I'm 17 and I have dealt with this crap far to long. Not all of us teens are as dumb as the others! I have never liked loud music or loud anything for that matter. I know many people that do but I don't! Honestly I find this article offensive as it puts me into the sterotype teen that I am NOT! Not only do I not listen to loud music, I tell others to turn theirs down, I don't drink, I don't do drugs, I don't give into pure pressure at all, and I push back violent urges and because of it have a hard time getting through high school, I long for the day when I'm out of high school away from all the other retards that are supposed to be my equalls. It's not hard to push away from the others that make bad decistions it's the fact that some teens just don't care and putting us all into one group that resists older people every chance they get and make all the wrong decisions isn't helping to put an end to it one bit.
I'm fifteen and i listen to my Zune around 6 or 7. OF course they're with som quality IEM's, but i just don't like lookin like an idiot while letting other hear my music.
I'm fifteen and i listen to my Zune around 6 or 7. OF course they're with som quality IEM's, but i just don't like lookin like an idiot while letting other hear my music.
This is a true Gem of Engadget Sarcasm...
Those teenagers have humongous feet... CRAZY...
Right NOW teens don't care... just wait... it will hit them some time around age 25 -- like a brick.
i also got tinnitus from a smashing pumpkins concert,ive had it over 2 months now.its bloody awful.