If aliens landed on earth to observe and describe the typical human child, “headphones permanently attached to ears’’ would probably be on the list of characteristics.
With iPods and portable MP3 players seen by children and teens as cool, must-have accessories comes something new for parents to monitor: how loud is too loud for young ears exposed to music through headphones?
Any noise, if loud enough and lasting long enough, has the potential to cause hearing loss. This sort of ear damage is called noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL).
When it comes to protecting hearing, music channelled through headphones is particularly concerning because it can be difficult for users to realise the point at which the sound level has reached dangerous levels. Further, because of the nature of headphones, it is very difficult for parents to monitor sound levels.
NIHL is often permanent and irreversible, and hearing loss in children and adolescents can lead to difficulties in speech, learning and concentration, and is a barrier to normal, healthy social interactions.
But enjoying music and keeping hearing intact can go together.
A paper by a leading hearing specialist with the Children’s Hospital Boston about the use of headphones found that the safest way to listen to music on a modern MP3 is with the volume turned up to no more than 80 per cent of its highest level - so listening with the volume scale on eight if the highest possible level on the scale is 10 - and for no more than 90 minutes a day.
It was also found that it is the duration of time spent listening, rather than the volume that causes the most concern and the most long-term damage to hearing.
So turning up the volume to listen to a favourite song is safe, but any exposure to volumes over 80 per cent of the device’s capacity should be limited to a maximum of 15 minutes a day.
The same Children’s Hospital Boston specialist has also confirmed that it’s a myth that a listener’s volume is only damaging their hearing if an observer can hear it escaping the headphones. This is a very unreliable way to gauge safe volume, so it is best to check on the volume scale of the device if you want to check how loud your children’s music is.
Research put out by an Australian Government hearing agency says a good sign that MP3 volume is safe is that you can hear someone at arm’s length speak to you without them having to raise their voice.
Factor in the background noise
Alarm bells should go off if your child is listening to music in an already noisy environment.
In a room where the kitchen blender is going and the TV is on, or on a noisy train or bus, users tend to turn up their music volume to compete with background sound, meaning they’re exposed to up to 93 decibels of noise through their headphones and this is a dangerous level equal to that produced by loud power tools.
In a quiet bedroom, users tend to listen to the devices with a safe sound level of about 63 decibels, the level of a normal conversation.
Is there a “good’’ headphone?
There is some evidence from studies into the area to suggest that earbud and in-ear headphones produce slightly higher sound into the ear than over-the-ear headphones, even when set at the same volume setting.
However studies also show that users intuitively adjust the volume control to accommodate this, so there doesn’t seem any real benefit in banning earbuds in favour of over-the-ear headphones.
Have a chat
Recent Australian research into attitudes to hearing loss shows that the majority of 18-24 year olds do not accept that loud music can cause severe and permanent hearing loss, so educating young music lovers about the risks is vital.
Simply telling kids to “turn it down” can be something that children tend to ignore as nagging. Try explaining some basics about how delicate the ear is and let them know that “fixing’’ hearing problems is a complex task that sometimes can’t be done.
References:
Fligor Brian (2007) Hearing Loss and iPods: What happens when you turn them to 11? Hearing Journal, vol 60, issue 10: 10-16.
Australian Hearing Health Report: Is Australia Listening? Attitudes to Hearing Loss (2008)
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