iPod Ear and the ‘Huh? Wha?’ Generation

Why Blame iPods? There’s always been music, why are ipods being blamed? – Longer batteries – More mobile Smaller, lighter – More music Easy to go between songs /artists

iPod Depending on your ipod, it can hold anywhere from 2,000-15,000 songs. Battery can last all day Can put it in a pocket, carry it all day. Want to listen to different artists?Make a play list, or scroll quickly. Want music? Download MP3 directly on ipod. My high school CD player It could hold ONE CD, which is songs. Battery could last a few hours If it bounced, the CD skipped, must hold it flat and still in hand. Want to listen to different artists? Open CD player, remove CD, go to giant CD book, remove new CD, put in CD player. Repeat each time. Want music? Go to music store, buy CD

Now that you think I am old…. The point is: Hearing damage is directly related to the duration (length) of exposure -- not just volume -- steady, long-term exposure to even moderately loud music could result in premature hearing loss. Ipods make it EASY to listen for a long period of time. No other music device has ever done that.

" We're seeing the same kind of hearing loss we used to see in older people who worked in factories for years." NIHL- Noise Induced Hearing Loss = (But they are forced to wear ear protection…..) The number of Americans age 3 and older with some form of auditory disorder has more than doubled since 1971, from 13.2 million to about 30 million today. Of those, one-third are said to have noise-induced hearing loss.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that 13 percent of American children between 6 and more than 5 million young people -- have some form of noise-induced hearing loss. More than half of American high school students have at least one symptom of hearing loss ***(That was back in 2008……)

What’s too Loud? Hearing experts say 85 decibels -- the sound of city traffic -- is safe At peak volume, iPods can hit close to 120 decibels -- a level between a jackhammer and a jet engine. Legally, THEY have to wear ear protection, because it is well known how bad that volume is for ears.

But no one puts limits on these. Too many people are going beyond the recommended limits, especially when they're on the street or in crowded places and crank the volume to drown outside noise.

“But I listen to music ALL DAY REALLY LOUD, and my ears are FINE!” Hearing specialists say the cases they're seeing now may be only the start of trouble for this generation because accumulated noise damage develops slowly and insidiously. A 15-year-old who regularly cranks the volume on his player for hours at a time may not experience any noticeable problems until he or she is in their mid- to late-20s.

Noise-induced hearing loss makes it difficult to understand what is being said in restaurants and other places with background noise. “Ahh, It ain't no funny, man, it ain't no fun, when you're 20 years old, but your ears are 81.”

Conversations sound muffled, as if coming through a hotel room wall. It also becomes difficult to hear high-frequency, soft consonants, such as s, t, f, h and the sh sound. In English, those sounds comprise more than one-third of what we speak, so you're talking about misunderstanding key words.

“Quality of Life Issue” Sufferers tend to withdraw, their health often deteriorates and they can encounter problems communicating at work. "Think of the older person with hearing loss; he's the one alone in the corner who is all crabby, but if people lose their hearing at an earlier age, these flaws are going to kick in earlier," Burrows said.

Delicate Workings Noise-induced hearing loss happens when loud sounds stress and damage the delicate hair cells in the inner ear that convert mechanical vibrations in the air into electrical signals the brain interprets as sound. If exposed to loud noises for a long time, the hair cells can die, producing hearing loss. THE CELLS WILL NEVER REGROW.

Not everyone shares the same risk of hearing loss. Some people have tougher ears, while others are more tender and prone to damage. Unlike speedometers on cars, most MP3 players don't warn you when danger levels are reached. Audiologists tell listeners to subscribe to two basic rules of thumb: – Keep the volume down (a good guide is to set the volume level at half) – limit listening time (to give your hearing a break).

If you can't hear someone speaking to you and that person is just an arm's length away, then your iPod is too loud. You don't have to understand every word being said, but you have to know someone is talking. It doesn’t matter the source (ear buds/car stereo), too loud is too loud.

According to the University of Colorado and Children’s Hospital in Boston, a person can safely listen to an ipod for 4.6 hours at 70% volume.

Too Loud? If you ever have ringing on your ears (tinnitus), or sounds are muffled, even temporarily, your ears have been damaged. If someone can hear your music from your earphones from several feet away, it’s too loud!

I found this…. SUCH A BAD IDEA! Your ears need to rest!!!!