By Alice Kim
Arcadia High School, Grade 12
10/18/10 — Most of us have heard it before— the muffled blast of music, seeping through the earphones of a person sitting nearby, listening to his or her iPod. With the rise in popularity over iPods and other portable mp3 players, concern over the relation between hearing loss and these devices has also increased. IPod users who listen to music at high volumes risk permanent hearing loss.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OHSA) recommends that people keep the level of sound to which they are exposed to below 85 decibels— the maximum sound level of an iPod reaches 115 decibels.
Even those who do not listen to their iPods at maximum volumes are at risk of ear damage, especially those who listen to music for prolonged periods of time. According to The Children’s Hearing Institute website, hearing damage can occur either by “brief exposures to extremely loud sounds” or “consistent exposure to moderate-level loud sounds.”
For many teenagers, iPods are a major source of entertainment, but unfortunately, they do not realize the potential harm in listening to music too loudly.
“I listen everyday when I do my homework or study. Sometimes, I’ll listen near full volume because it helps relieve my stress and relaxes me,” Shana Mofarrah, a junior at Arcadia High School, admitted.
“I listen whenever I’m bored, like on a long car trip or during my daily workouts. It brings tranquility into my life. I don’t think it’s that harmful to listen to music very loudly,” Lillian Wang, a sophomore, said.
But some students say they will take caution to protect their ears.
“A lot of people listen to their iPods too loudly when they try drowning out surrounding noise,” Audrey Wang, another sophomore, said. “I would invest in some good noise-cancelling headphones. Even though they’re pretty expensive, it’s important to protect your ears. I would never listen to my iPod over 50 percent. It’s unnecessary and I don’t want to be deaf when I grow old!”
