No right-thinking parent would let a child wear sunglasses if there was a chance they would damage his or her eyes. Yet millions of parents allow their kids to wear itty bitty headphones despite growing evidence that they can harm hearing.

For years, experts have known that consistent exposure to loud sound, including amplified music, erodes hearing. Now, kids are pumping decibels directly into their ears with the headphones that are standard equipment for MP-3 players, cell phones and even video games. In one study done several years ago, researchers found that 12.5 percent of kids between 6 to 19 already had measurable hearing loss. Today the results would probably be worse.

The “bud” earphones that fit right into the ear are the culprit. According to research done at Harvard, they often deliver sound that is almost ten decibels higher than headphones that cover the ear. That’s because the tiny earphones don’t block out surrounding sound very well, so kids turn up the volume even more than they would otherwise. Also, the batteries that come with these devices last longer so kids have more unbroken exposure to loud sound. That matters because hearing loss is caused not only by how loud a sound is but also how long a child is exposed.

To understand exactly what’s happening, picture the cochlea, a seashell-shaped structure inside the ear. Your child’s cochlea is filled with fluid and lined with tiny hair cells that wave gently like anemones. The hair cells pick up sound vibrations and transmit them to the auditory nerve. When hair cells are blasted by sound, they start to look like a wheat field after a windstorm. Damage can be done both by short exposure to really loud sound or by continuous exposure to lower levels of sound.

Kids won’t notice the loss of hair cells because it’s gradual and painless. It’s also permanent. That’s why parents have to step in to be sure the sounds kids hear when they are young won’t compromise their ability to hear when they are older. Here’s what you should do:

 Educate your child (and yourself) about hearing loss. To make the potential risks more vivid, look at pictures of hair cells before and after they’ve been exposed to loud sound at the Dangerous Decibels website (http:/​/​www.dangerousdecibels.org/​virtualexhibit/​index.html) Encourage young music lovers to visit websites like www.hearnet.com where they’ll find wish-I-had-known stories by famous musicians who lost their hearing.

 Become familiar with the decibel levels that cause damage. Even adults may not recognize dangerously loud sounds, especially if they already have hearing loss. To find out which sounds are actually harmful, check out the interactive chart available from the National Institutes of Deafness and other Communication Disorders (http:/​/​www.nidcd.nih.gov/​health/​education/​decibel/​decibel_text.asp).

 Replace bud earphones with the kind that cover the ear and have a cushion. They may not be as stylish but they are less likely to cause damage. Also, control exposure by setting limits on how long your child is allowed to use headphones each day.

 Mark the level of acceptable sound on the volume control with permanent marker. Kids often don’t realize that sound is too loud. A rule of thumb: when “bleed out” sound can be heard from three feet away, the device should be turned down. If you find yourself having constant arguments about sound levels, consider buying a noisemeter, available from outlets like Radio Shack. At $50, the meter isn’t cheap—unless you compare it to the cost of hearing aids!

 Be sure your child knows the warning signs that indicate sound is too loud. Temporary hearing loss or ringing in the ears is a clear indication that hair cells are unhappy and your child should find a quieter activity immediately. Remember that headphones aren’t the only source of harmful sound. Even squeeze toys for babies can cause damaging levels of noise. So can loudspeakers at school dances, boomboxes and car stereos. Be sure your child understands that the ears don’t get “get used” to loud sounds. When loud sounds become more tolerable, it’s because hearing has already been damaged.

 Have your child use earplugs. When kids are going to be exposed to loud sounds, perhaps because they are attending a rock concert, seeing a loud movie or even cutting the grass, have them wear ear plugs. Although you can find earplugs at drugstores, sporting good stores and music stores, it’s also worth checking out the huge assortment of specialized earplugs at wwww.earplugstore.com. Suggest that young musicians, for example, choose brands like Hearos or Mack’s Hear Plugs which reduce harmful sound without distortion.

Finally, I need to confess that, from my point of view, protecting hearing is something more than a good thing to do if you get around to it. My daughter was born deaf, and she struggles everyday to understand speech and other sounds that the rest of us take for granted. I had no choice about my daughter’s hearing loss. If your child can hear today, you do have a choice about how well he or she will hear in the future.

Supervising the way your child uses headphones will probably be a hassle. I also have two music-loving sons and, even though they know the consequences of hearing loss for their sister, they often want to argue when I say “turn it down.” It’s an argument I’m determined to win. You should be too.


Carolyn Jabs is a former Contributing Editor of Family PC and mother of three computer savvy kids. Other Growing Up Online columns are available at her website www.growing-up-online.com.

@​ Copyright 2005 Carolyn Jabs. All rights reserved.