| Kids have always loved listening to their | | | | Headwize reports that a study conducted on |
| favorite music, and the louder the better - | | | | music listeners using headphones revealed |
| much to their parents' dismay. In the 1980s, | | | | that while indoors with no background noise, |
| the portable tape recorder with headphones - | | | | the participants were comfortable with their |
| which came to be known as the "Walkman" - | | | | music at 69 decibels. Outdoors, where the |
| enabled teenagers to listen to their music as | | | | background noise was recorded at 65 decibels, |
| loud as they wanted, anywhere they wanted, | | | | participants using their headphones turned |
| without disturbing anyone around them. | | | | the volume up to 82 decibels and as high as |
| | | | 95 decibels to drown out the surrounding |
| But the more modern rendition of the Walkman | | | | noise. The Occupational Safety and Health |
| - portable MP3 Players and iPods - pose a | | | | Administration guidelines limit exposure to |
| major threat to our children's hearing | | | | noise at this level to no more than four |
| health, and to ours. | | | | hours each day. The study concluded that the |
| | | | participants were at risk for hearing damage |
| The problem is a combination of the | | | | and recommended "avoiding continuous use of |
| technology of portable digital devices that | | | | [portable stereos] in noisy conditions." |
| creates a non-buffered crystal clear sound, | | | | |
| and the type of headphones typically used | | | | Northwestern University's Dean Garstecki |
| with them, which do not have a buffer either. | | | | offers more specific guidelines: His 60 |
| In December 2005, Dean Garstecki, an | | | | percent/60 minute rule - listen to MP3 |
| audiologist and professor at Northwestern | | | | Players and iPods for "about an hour a day |
| University reported that more and more young | | | | and at levels below 60 percent of maximum |
| people were being diagnosed with the types of | | | | volume." The problem is, most of the |
| hearing loss typically found in older adults. | | | | population using headphones - young music |
| He attributed this trend to the "earbud" type | | | | fans - listen to their music for much longer |
| headphones that usually accompany iPod and | | | | than one hour per day. But, you can help |
| MP3 Players. | | | | minimize hearing loss, damage and problems |
| | | | while listening to your favorite music as |
| With the earbud headphones, the sound | | | | long as you want to - the secret is in the |
| frequencies are not buffered as they are with | | | | headphones. |
| the more traditional, ear cup-style headsets. | | | | |
| Newsweek Magazine recently reported that | | | | Headphones such as the EX29 Extreme Isolation |
| researchers at the House Ear Institute found | | | | Noise Reduction Headphones help block out |
| that listeners can unfortunately increase the | | | | external noise allowing you to hear the fine |
| volume of today's portable digital devices | | | | details of your music without blowing out |
| without the "signal distortion that occurs | | | | your ear drums. The ear cup fits over the |
| with traditional analog audio." The | | | | ear, and not in it, and the headphones are |
| older-model headphones that were popular just | | | | lightweight, don't require batteries and can |
| 15 to 20 years ago - that have ear cups | | | | be used with your MP3 Player or iPod. With 29 |
| outside of the ears - had that distortion | | | | decibels of isolation from outside sound, the |
| when the volume was turned up, which | | | | quiet headphones block outside noise and |
| functioned as a much-needed buffer to protect | | | | there is no need to crank the volume of your |
| our hearing. Today's technology does not | | | | music. |
| provide that buffer - the earpiece is placed | | | | |
| in the ear, not outside of it, and the | | | | Aging rock stars like the Who's Pete |
| digital devices do not create that | | | | Townsend, who has some permanent hearing loss |
| distortion, no matter how high the volume. | | | | from years of exposure to loud music, and |
| | | | Mick Fleetwood, who has teamed up with |
| In addition, people often listen to these | | | | Energizer batteries to promote hearing loss |
| devices while they are on the go, and have a | | | | prevention, have brought public attention to |
| tendency to crank the volume in an attempt to | | | | the fact that many of us take our hearing for |
| drown outside noise, further posing a risk to | | | | granted. But there's no need to turn off your |
| our hearing. Using the earbud style | | | | music - just be smarter about how you listen |
| headphones during activities such as | | | | to it. If you are using your MP3 Player or |
| exercise, for example, puts the user at a | | | | iPod when you're exercising, in a noisy |
| greater risk. During exercise, blood, which | | | | environment or you just want to hear the fine |
| can act as a buffer, is diverted from the | | | | details of your music, ditch the earbud |
| ears to other parts of the body - so our | | | | headphones and reach for a set of noise |
| already vulnerable hearing is in even more | | | | reduction ones instead. And you'll be |
| jeopardy. | | | | enjoying your favorite music for a long time |
| | | | to come. |