Notes

The Millennial Music



It is not uncommon for us to see another individual with their headphones on, may it be in the gym, in public places, and even in campus. Modern technology allows us to have access to millions of music with relative ease. However, doctors warn that our excessive use of these speakers are more damaging than what the common consumer knows.

In the article "Generation Deaf: Doctors Warn of Dangers of Earbuds" by Susan James, the issue of hearing loss is becoming more prevalent as the use of headphones in young people increases. The influence of technology and the availability of personal audio devices (smartphones, mp3 players, tablets) places more than 1 billion young people at risk of such issue. Nicole Raia, a clinical audiologist in Newark, New Jersey affirms the growing concern of this issue; she reveals that she sees more tinnitus (ringing in the ears) in younger people. Constant exposure to loud noises puts us at risk of hearing problems. According to the research of the NIH (National Institute of Health), listening to music at over 50% volume on most devices for more than 15 minutes is considered to be harmful. Dr. Sreekant Cherukuri, an otolaryngologist from Munster, Indiana, notes that earbuds enhances the music volume by as much as 9 dB because of its closer placement to the eardrum. Further, he gives a fairly simple and reasonable advice to prevent any hearing damage -- stop wearing earbuds and headphones. Neural synapses of the auditory nerve are injured upon exposure to loud noises. Often, once these sensorineural damage is incurred referred to as sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL), it is permanent and irreparable.