Group Warns Canadian Students Risk Hearing Loss With MP3 Player Volume
Posted May 11, 2009 12:00 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Turn down the volume.
That’s the message – not-so-loud, but clear – from the Hearing Foundation of Canada, which warns too many of the nation’s young people are enjoying music at dangerous levels.
A new survey from the HFC suggests 30 per cent of students are listening to MP3 players way too loud, with more than enough volume to sustain long-term damage.
“This is a burgeoning health issue and I think probably the MP3 players were the tipping point,” says Foundation President Heather Ferguson.
The Foundation is attempting to bring awareness to high school students with a presentation outlining the dangers of listening to music too loud, and for too long.
Live concerts are also cited as a major factor in hearing loss. The HFC suggests ear plugs when taking in loud music in person.
The preventative program is set to run for 16 months.
So you’ve got your iPod or MP3 player up full blast. But it sounds fine to your ears. The problem is what sounds fine to your ears may not be healthy for them. How loud is too loud? Here are some comparisons to what a blaring music player can do to damage your hearing, with anything over about 85 decibels capable of doing not-so-silent damage.
Danger zone:
150 Firecracker
120 Ambulance siren
110 Chain saw, Rock concert
105 Personal stereo system at maximum level
100 Wood shop, Snowmobile
95 Motorcycle
90 Power mower
85 Heavy city traffic
Not harmful:
60 Normal conversation
40 Refrigerator humming
30 Whispered voice
Signs of prolonged noise exposure
Ringing or buzzing in the ears
Muffled sounds
Difficulty understanding speech
Difficulty following conversations when background noise present
Sources: Hearing Foundation of Canada/U.S. National Inst. of Deafness and Other Communication Disorders
