An estimated 50% of people 75 or over have some type of hearing loss and that’s why most people consider it a problem for older people. But studies show that younger people are at risk for hearing loss – and, alarmingly, they are losing their hearing in spite of the fact that it’s totally avoidable.
As a matter of fact, 34% of the 479 freshmen who were studied across 4 high schools demonstrated signs of hearing loss. What could be causing this? Researchers suspect that earbuds and headphones connected to mobile devices are contributing to the problem. And everyone’s at risk.
What causes hearing loss in people under 60?
If other people can hear your music, it’s too loud and that’s a basic rule for teenagers and everyone. Harm to your hearing can occur when you listen to sounds louder than 85 decibels – which is about the volume of a vacuum cleaner – for an extended time period. A standard mobile device with the volume turned up to the max is about 106 decibels. In this situation, damage starts to occur in under 4 minutes.
It might seem as if everyone would know this but teenagers frequently have their headphones in for hours at a time. They’re playing games, watching videos, or listening to music during this time. And this will only increase over the next few years, if we’re to believe present research. Research shows that smartphones and other screens trigger dopamine production in younger kids’ brains, which is the same reaction caused by addictive drugs. Kids’ hearing will suffer as it becomes more challenging to get them to put their screens down.
The dangers of hearing loss in young people
Clearly, hearing loss presents numerous challenges for anyone, regardless of age. Younger individuals, however, face added issues with regards to academics, after-school sports, and even job possibilities. Hearing loss at a young age causes issues with paying attention and understanding concepts during class, which puts the student at a disadvantage. It also makes playing sports much more difficult, since so much of sports requires listening to coaches and teammates giving directions and calling plays. Young adults and teenagers joining the workforce can encounter unnecessary obstacles caused by hearing loss.
Hearing loss can also lead to social problems. Kids who have damaged hearing have a more difficult time interacting with peers, which frequently causes social and emotional problems that require therapy. People who cope with hearing loss often feel isolated and experience mental health problems like anxiety and depression. Mental health treatment and hearing loss management often go together and this is particularly true with kids and teenagers in their early developmental years.
How young people can avoid hearing loss
Using earbuds or headphones for no more than 60 minutes per day and at a volume 60% of maximum or less (the 60/60 rule) is the first rule to observe. If your kids listen to headphones at 60% and you can still hear them while sitting close to them, you should tell them to turn it down until you can no longer hear it.
It also may be smart to switch back to over-the-ear style headphones and quit using earbuds. In comparison to traditional headphones, earbuds put inside of the ear canal can actually produce 5 to 10 extra decibels.
Whatever you can do to reduce your child’s exposure to loud sounds throughout the day will help. You can’t regulate everything they do during school or on the bus, so try to make the time they’re at home headphone-free. And if you do believe your child is dealing with hearing loss, you should have them evaluated right away.
References
https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/statistics/quick-statistics-hearing
https://newsie.co.nz/news/163631-deaf-foundation-blames-earbuds-phones-teens-hearing-loss.html
https://time.com/4989275/young-children-tablets-mobile-devices/
https://www.healthyhearing.com/report/52500-Hearing-loss-among-kids-and-teens
https://hearinghealthfoundation.org/blogs/protecting-your-hearing-means-protecting-your-mental-health
https://kidshealth.org/en/teens/earbuds.html