A newsletter for the students, faculty and staff of the Collin County Community College District. Published monthly. For information or submissions, call 972.599.3142. Cougar News welcomes student and faculty submissions. Next deadline: April 10 All submissions are due by 5 p.m. on the due date. Photos cannot be returned. Text should be e-mailed to mrobinson@ccccd.edu or sent on disk. Please submit copy that is proofed, edited and saved in Word format. Cougar News staff: Lisa Vasquez, director; Mark Robinson, editor; Marcy Cadena-Smith, contributor; Sydney Portilla-Diggs, student correspondent; Stephanie Hall, student correspondent; Lydia Gober, special contributor; Nick Young, photographer.
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Hearing loss a danger for iPod users
By Sydney Portilla-Diggs
Campus Correspondent
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| Collin student Cecil D'Angelo Clayton listens to his iPod "full blast" despite potential hearing loss. | When one thinks of hearing loss, one usually thinks of getting older.
However, hearing loss is fast becoming a problem for the younger generation as well.
More and more young people are experiencing hearing damage. Statistics suggest varying reasons, such as noisy concerts and nightclubs. However, one has only to look around the Collin campuses to discover another alleged culprit—personal music devices such as MP3 players or Walkmen.
At best, the reports are conflicting. According to The Dallas Morning News, some researchers cite personal cassette players and Walkman-type CD players as a possible threat for hearing damage if listened at high volumes through headphones for extended periods of time. Other reports claim that the technology of the MP3 players is too new to be sure what the long-term consequences will be.
Collin student Cecil D’Angelo Clayton listens to his iPod Nano all day except in the car where he listens to his CD player.
“I listen to [my iPod] full blast. It keeps my mind preoccupied," Clayton said.
When asked about the circulating stories about hearing loss, he says he was not worried about going deaf. Collin student Terence Lloyd also listens to his iPod Shuffle all day.
“I am not worried at all [about going deaf]. When I listen to my iPod, I only have in one earpiece. I am conscious of my health," Lloyd said.
What are the facts? Newer technology has made it possible to play music at increasingly higher volumes without distortion. Furthermore, each new and improved version of an MP3 player boasts a larger song capacity and a longer play time—some lasting up to 20 hours.
According to the Washington Post, experts says that two things are certain: if someone three feet away can hear your music or if you have to turn it down to hear someone talk directly to you—it is too loud. In addition, long-term exposure to high volume can lead to hearing damage. However, hearing damage is not the same thing as hearing loss. Hearing loss and its effects can be temporary if you pay attention to your ear health.
How high the sound? MP3 players are believed to produce sound measuring up to 100 to 120 decibels.
Some other sound sources and their output levels:
Lawnmowers, 90 decibels
Motorcycles, 95 decibels
Chainsaw, 100 decibels
Helicopter, 105 decibels
Snowmobile, 110 decibels
Baby’s cry, 115 decibels
Rock concert, 120 decibels
Firecracker, 125 decibels
Gunshot, 140 decibels (http://www.youth.hear-it.org)
According to one Collin student who wanted to be referred to as HB, “People are only interested in getting their music. [I think] they don’t care about the new reports.”
Recently, amid lawsuits, Apple introduced a new software, titled iPod Software 1.1.1, that will allow users to set a maximum volume limit on their fifth-generation and nano iPods.
HB may be right because more than 42 million iPods were sold since they went on sale in 2001. If you want to obtain more education about your ear health, access the following website: http://www.youth.hear-it.org .
[PRINTER FRIENDLY VERSION]
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