Are iPods Killing Our Ears?
The iPod has revolutionized the personal stereo industry, as students and travelers withdraw into their own little world, shutting out annoying noises and rocking out to run, dance, or relax. It also threatens and entire generation with profound hearing loss.
Recent data indicates that those who listened for five hours a week at high volume settings exposed themselves to more noise than permitted in the noisiest factory or work place. Maximum volume on some devices can generate as much noise as an airplane taking off nearby.
Studies also warn that young people do not realize the damage until years later. “Regularly listening to personal music players at high-volume settings when young,” the report said, “often has no immediate effect on hearing but is likely to result in hearing loss later in life.” But older people may also be vulnerable to hearing damage. The studies went on to say an estimated 50 million to 100 million people out of about 500 million may be listening to portable music players daily. Users listening at high volumes for more than an hour a day each week risk permanent hearing loss after five years.
Such fears have already prompted litigation. In 2006 a man in Louisiana filed a lawsuit against Apple, claiming the company had failed to take adequate steps to prevent hearing loss among iPod users. The suit, filed in Federal District Court in San Jose, Calif., claims that the iPod can produce sounds as loud as 115 decibels, when 89 decibels is considered that maximum for safe listening. Apple warns its customers about the danger of hearing loss in its iPod manual.
The market for personal music devices continues to boom worldwide despite warnings. It’s just common sense that loud music continuously piped directly into your ears cannot happen without some long term consequenses. I didn’t need a study for that! I personally like it loud. You just can’t listen to old AC/DC or Led Zeppelin, on the quiet. I’ll just have to settle for high definition hearing aids in a couple of years!
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Everything is dangerous. I mean come on it’s like you’d want to sue the publisher of your favourite book because you were reading it in dark and messed up your sight. If you can’t use something correctly then don’t use it at all.
Maintaining a balance is important I agree but I always don’t like the idea of listening rock music or very high frequency music with headphones. I always feel something is constantly buzzing into my mind, there’s more the matter of how my mind will react to it than my ears with this thing.
thanks tor explaining it that way
Bai viet rat hay.Cam on
If Ipods are killing our ears then I’m in big trouble later on LOL
It’s not just ipods, although those are the popular choice. It’s using earphones in general that’s the problem. You can’t really get good sound quality without jacking it up, which goes way past what your ears are supposed to handle on a regular basis.