MP3 Players and Hearing Loss

Abstract

Source: Vogel I, Brug J, Hosli EJ, et al. MP3 players and hearing loss: adolescents’ perceptions of loud music and hearing conservation. J Pediatr. 2008;152(3):400–404; doi: 10.1016/j. jpeds.2007.07.009The objective of this study was to explore adolescents’ behaviors and opinions about exposure to loud music from MP3 players. Researchers from The Netherlands conducted a qualitative analysis of eight focus-group discussions with 73 adolescents aged 12–18 years from two large secondary schools (one urban and one rural) for pre-vocational and pre-university education. Semi-structured interview questions addressed exposure to MP3 player music, perceived intrinsic/ extrinsic rewards of listening to loud music, vulnerability to and severity of hearing damage, ability to protect one’s hearing, and social influences on playing music at high volumes.MP3 players were ubiquitous within the three 15-to-18-year-old pre-vocational focus groups. Adolescents at the pre-vocational schools reported preferring their music at maximum volume. In comparison, not all members of the pre-university groups or the 12-to-14-year-old groups reported owning an MP3 player. Pre-university students reported playing their MP3 players at lower volumes and less frequently than pre-vocational students.Participants expressed several reasons for playing their MP3 players at maximum volume: to reduce background noise, to hear a favorite song well, or to sing along without hearing themselves. Adolescents played their MP3 at a softer level if “the batteries were dying,” “to hear traffic,” and “to concentrate on homework.”Although participants appeared to be generally aware of the risks of exposure to loud music, they expressed low personal vulnerability to music-induced hearing loss. Most reported that after listening to loud music they sometimes experienced tinnitus. Most adolescents, particularly those from the pre-vocational group, said that they would not accept any interference with their music-exposure habits. Participants reported that their parents warned them of the dangers of playing their MP3 players loud – yet warnings stressed traffic safety rather than hearing loss. Some adolescents shared that the sound of their parents’ voices was reason enough to turn up the volume of their MP3 player. The authors conclude that increased hearing education for adolescents and safety modifications of MP3 players should occur.Dr. Pujazon-Zazik has disclosed no financial relationship relevant to this commentary. This commentary does not contain a discussion of an unapproved/investigative use of a commercial product/device.As MP3 players have increased in popularity, exposure to high sound levels has also increased, rendering millions of MP3 owners potentially at risk of hearing damage. Music-induced hearing loss may be evolving into a significant public health problem: increasing numbers of adolescents and young adults already show symptoms related to noise-induced hearing loss, such as sound distortion, tinnitus, hyperacusis, or threshold shifts.1Advances in digital technology have permitted music listeners to “turn up the volume” of their favorite songs without experiencing distorted sound. In addition, MP3 players are capable of providing hours of musical entertainment, thanks to extensive storage capacities. Most MP3 players come with compact earpieces that fit snugly within one’s ear, providing minimal sound-leakage. Thus, MP3 players create the conditions of higher sound levels and longer exposure times, both of which are known to increase the risk of hearing damage.2A 2005 web-based survey of nearly ten thousand adolescents indicated that only 8% reported hearing loss was a “very big health problem.”3 The adolescents interviewed for the current study perceived that severe problems were related to hearing loss, yet they underestimated their own vulnerability to hearing damage. The adolescents did not know how to determine when music was loud enough to produce hearing damage. In addition, the majority of students reported little motivation and intent to change their MP3 listening behaviors.The results of this study suggest that education of preteens and teens to prevent hearing loss should be initiated, with extra attention given to male and pre-vocational students.