Ear Pollution
By Elizabeth Ludrick
Since the invention of the radio, the record player, the cassette tape, and eventually, the CD player, kids have been rocking out to their own beats. Whether it’s the sounds of Tina Turner, David Bowie or Justin Timberlake reverberating off the walls and through the house, the technology and pop stars have changed, but one thing hasn’t — the command from parents to “Turn that music down!”
In the past, this parental directive simply made parents “old” and “uncool” in the eyes and ears of their teeny-bopping kids. But now, new technology has personalized this racket, directing it straight into children’s ear canals. Devices like MP3 players, iPod, personal DVD players and even the surround sound in your home are putting kids at risk for severe hearing loss.
It is estimated that the average MP3 player can produce sounds of more than 120 decibels. That’s somewhere between the volume of a rock concert and a jack hammer or jet plane. Or, enough to cause noise-induced hearing loss. And, unfortunately, says Chris Harvey, an audiologist with the Hearing Diagnostic Center at Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas, that damage is often permanent. “You don’t know how much damage you’re doing until later in life,” he cautions.
Today’s headphones, like the iPod’s ubiquitous white earbuds, improve the sound and clarity of the music. But, Harvey says, they’re also closer to the eardrum, and they block out more background noise, which means we’re tempted to crank up the volume way beyond what is really necessary.
But it’s not just the iPod that’s to blame for noise-induced hearing loss. Fireworks, movie theaters, and even Dad’s large backyard machinery like lawn mowers or electric saws can all produce sounds loud enough to wreak havoc.
Your child’s deteriorating hearing may not require a hearing aid immediately, but it can impact her daily life before either of you realize there’s a problem. “Some people think they’re [children] not paying attention, but it’s because they don’t hear you talking to them,” says Harvey. Although there probably aren’t any noticeable symptoms of hearing loss that your child can discern, if she’s asking you to repeat things consistently or showing behavior problems, it might be time to have her hearing checked by a professional.
So what can you do to protect you child’s precious ears? You can’t stress turning down the volume enough, no matter how tragically uncool it makes you feel. Harvey says keeping the volume at the halfway point on an iPod’s volume scale is a good rule of thumb. “If you can hear someone’s iPod, it’s too loud,” he says. And don’t forget the earplugs. He says they won’t plug up your ears, as most people assume, they just help cut out the background noise.
So your kids can rock on … at a reasonable volume.
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