Listen up, says the European Union's Scientific Committee on Emerging and Newly Identified Health Risks: Millions of people are playing their iPods and MP3 players too loudly and too long, and will suffer hearing loss as a result. The report focuses on kids and teens, for obvious reasons—and because hearing loss is occurring at younger ages these days, thanks to noise exposure. A study a few years ago found early signs of hearing loss in more than 12 percent of 6- to 9-year-olds. Scary. A non-technical version of the EU report, including recommendations, is at ec.europa.eu/health/opinions/en/hearing-loss-personal-music-player-mp3/.
I do my best to monitor my own kids—if I can hear their music "leaking" from their earbuds, I tell them to turn it down, and otherwise make a nuisance of myself. But I know that our society is full of noise assaults, and not just in music venues and on subway platforms. I was at a dance class recently where the music was so loud I found myself sticking my fingers into my ears. I hate being the mom of the world, but I did think about asking the dance instructor to turn the volume down...or quietly leaving a copy of the EU report or some other worrisome study at the gym's front desk. I don't suppose anyone would thank me for it, but I like to think that if someone did, I'd be able to hear it.