In the article “Headphones Today, Hearing Aids Tomorrow?” the author, Lisa Esposito, explains the risks of using headphones and how to practice appropriate headphone use. She begins by describing how audiologists have discovered that listening to music through headphones at high volumes can lead to irreversible hearing loss. Next, Esposito introduces tips from experts on preventing hearing loss by using headphones safely. She includes a list of reasons ranging from being “volume-savvy” to taking “tinnitus seriously.” Esposito first explains how the World Health Organization suggests to keep your volume at or below 60 percent of the maximum volume. She continues by bringing in an outside source, Rob Jaczko, who emphasizes the importance of having well fitted ear buds. By having this, it blocks out the noise of your surroundings giving you the ability to not turn the volume up extremely loud. Esposito continues by describing how most people experience tinnitus, which occurs faster that gradual hearing loss. She concludes by warning everybody to get their hearing checked, be alert to subtle signs, and practice safe listening.
More than ever children and young adults are using headphones more frequently. By doing so they run the risk of losing their hearing, which many are unaware of. Most people think it is “cool” to listen to their music at extremely loud rates or do so in order to block out surrounding noise. I believe that listening to music at loud levels is dangerous and should monitored. Companies should create warnings for their products in order for people to know the consequences. This topic greatly relates to my generation of people because a large group use headphones everyday. At this rate, my generation will have many deaf people not knowing how to communicate. I want to know why companies aren’t creating their devices to have safer sound frequencies for the public if hearing loss has become a concern.
Bri's Blog 
Brianna,
Thank you for bringing this topic to my attention. I am pleased to hear that people are concerned about this type of topic because teenagers’, especially this generations, everyday life routine seems to involve having headphones in their ears that blasts their favorite artists or songs. I am one of these teenagers, having to have headphones on me at all times, incase I need to do some homework or just block off the distractions around me. I have noticed that when blasting my favorite songs at the maximum volume, I have a hard time hearing for a few minutes. With the tips they have provided, I will put them to good use, Reading this article gave me a new perspective on how I should be listening to music and how I can prevent myself from going deaf. There only problem I can see is that people who have gotten used to blasting their music through their headphones may have trouble hearing their music when using the tips that were provided in the article. With all these new technology and gadgets being released, will companies consider putting a limit to how loud their products will be in order to help prevent people from going deaf, or they will ignore this important topic.
“A blast from the past can lead to silence”
I would rename this article this because one day someone can be blasting their music through their headphones and the next thing they now, they are deaf and can only hear silence.
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Thank you Brianna for bringing this issue of our culture to mind! I am astonished to learn that earbuds can actually be detrimental to my health.
I honestly feel like earbuds are a very prominent accessory in modern adolescent culture. This honestly does not strike to me as surprising as I was just displaying a playful enthusiasm. I feel as if this issue is also symbolic to popular culture. As current and future generation are exposed to pop-culture, instead of becoming increasingly educated and effectively productive, we are becoming more ignorant, increasingly prioritizing materialistic values, and also being influenced by sexual status and desires. As technology harms us, so does the content of which we use them for.
I cannot directly relate to this article since I do not routinely use earbuds, but I can relate from another perspective, as I do listen to extremely loud music occasionally. I do admire the solution to develop better earbuds to reduce the volume necessary to adequately utilize the earbuds, but I believe there is a better way to solve this issue. I think that instead of changing the earbuds I think we can make a new personal auditory device. I personally do not mind about this issue and its impending health problems, because I believe nothing will change how we will use this accessory. So the question is: Will we be willing to change?
An alternate title should be “More issues with technology”, because this title explains the conflicting reality of our time. With more technology comes more issues.
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Bri,
I am glad you wrote about the topic off the headphones have on the youth.
This situation reminded me of myself because I frequently listen to my music very loudly with my headphones. I have noticed that not only do I have hearing problems, but focusing in class as well. There are times I will be in class, and I won’t be able to comprehend what’s going on because I still feel the songs beat in my head.
This reminds me of the sign language class my sister is taking because many of the students who have gone deaf have became deaf because of the music they would blast through their headphones.
I think a good title for this would be “Disabling the Youth Through Headphones.” The title gives a very clear image or idea of what you are trying to imply.
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