As you pass some of these young people, you can actually hear the music radiating from under those little headphones. That is a sure sign that the individual listening to that music is listening at a level that is too loud, and, therefore, in the long run is risky to the status of their hearing. |
The current devices are in constant use hours and hours every day, so I am concerned we are going to have even earlier occurrences of sound-induced hearing loss. |
These portable devices are not inherently harmful to hearing because of the way they are coupled to the ear, but there are certainly safe levels at which one can listen to them. My recommendation is to listen at such a level that one can still hear conversation and other people in their environment do not accuse them of shouting when they attempt to converse. |