Tech scare: Loud MP3 players can damage your hearing – No really?
Technology has enriched most of our lives beyond description, making our business and home lives much easier and less strenuous. But, as with everything these days, there has to be a downside, and the do-gooders love to inform us of these negatives at every available opportunity. The latest warning is informing us that listening to loud music could damage our ears. Well I never, who’d have thought it?
We’re living in a time of unbelievable luxury and pleasure. Oh I know not everyone is having a great time, but generally speaking, progress is being made in all manner of fields, and technology has made our lives easier than ever. It has also provided more means of entertainment than ever before. Just think about it, the Internet was only created in its current form in my lifetime, and I’m only in my early 30s.
But, as technology has exploded, it has also unfortunately given scaremongers more opportunities to try and frighten us. It seems that not a day goes by when there’s not a scare of some kind, from predators stalking our kids online, to mobile phones frying our brains. And the latest? That loud music is damaging to our ears.
The International Herald Tribune reports that an EU report from experts on the Scientific Committee on Emerging and Newly Identified Health Risks (snappy title) suggests that regularly listening to loud music on iPods and MP3 players could damage your hearing in later life. Well yeah, I think we already knew that.
The report suggests that listening to loud music on a portable player for an hour a day could cause damage to hearing within five years. This has led to suggestions of limiting the maximum volumes on personal media players to 90 decibels.
For starters, how much did these experts get paid to report something that most of us with any level of common sense already knew anyway? Seriously, loud music can damage your hearing. Isn’t that something we’re all taught in school at a tender, young age?
Also, how dare there be limits put in place? I know it’s for our own good but maybe we want to damage our hearing with loud music. My life is already full of limitations and regulations, so I really don’t want one governing how I can listen to music.
While writing this article, I had my Creative Zen on full volume playing a random selection including Megadeth, Weezer, Foo Fighters, Muse, and Bloc Party. I just know I’ll pay for it in five years time, but surely that’s my decision to make?
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October 13th, 2008
A parental control feature would not be bad, my 5 year old owns a zune and those Jo Bros might be hurting hear ears (they do mine)
October 22nd, 2008
You must be stupid to be against the volume limitations.
It’s for your own good and although it IS your own decision, sometimes it’s better if someone else decides for you.
And how can you ignore the countless amount of ignorant teen-agers who don’t give a flying damn about the dangerous health effects of the many activities that they engage in on a daily basis? SURELY they would listen to their parents if they warned them about the disadvantages of setting your iPod on the highest volume, right?
This is needed, and I will give all the support I can to make the limitation official.