There have been countless endless debates everywhere over the use of digital devices, but the reality is, these digital devices have become so vital in our lives that it’s hard to imagine life without them. From dawn till dusk, they’re almost always within our reach. And where there is any digital device in use, there is always a headphone or earbuds nearby.

Yes, this tiny accessory has become a must-have for most of us. Even if you don’t own a phone, you probably have a headphone for using it while playing games on Xbox/PlayStation on your computer, which could be either with or without wires, depending on your preference. This small gadget works like magic, as you put them in your ears, the world outside fades away.

Headphones also have a fascinating history. At first, headphones used to be big and had a band to go around your head. They were connected by a wire. Then, they got smaller and looked better. New varieties came in without band and they became just two pieces connected by a wire. After that, the wires disappeared too — they became wireless and very small, like tiny plugs for your ears.

The personalised audio experience and their portability have made them just inseparable accessories with which we immerse ourselves in our favourite music, podcasts or other audio content without disturbing people around us.

However, the rise of headphones is not without its downsides. Perhaps the most significant concern is the potential for hearing damage at a young age.

Yes, it’s true. Listening to loud noise for a long time can damage your hearing. This is called noise-induced hearing loss and it’s a major widespread problem these days. It’s the second most common type of hearing loss, right after hearing loss from getting older.

According to a study published in the 2017 international journal Noise Health, approximately 80% of individuals between 13 and 18 years of age use headphones for listening to music for 1–3 hours a day. However, it is recommended to keep the volume between 65-80db and 15 minutes at a time.

According to Dr James E. Foy, DO, an osteopathic paediatrician from California, “As a rule of thumb, you should only use MP3 devices at levels up to 60% of maximum volume for a total of 60 minutes a day.”

He further adds, “The louder the volume, the shorter your duration should be. At maximum volume, you should listen for only about five minutes a day.”

Thus with the portability of earbuds, our life is much easier and we don’t feel any harm using them whether for listening podcast or music very loudly, but this is where we underestimate this little gadget and risk our health — to be precise, we literally damage our hearing.

So those of you little fellows, if experiencing some kind of discomfort while listening on your headphones or earbuds, don’t hesitate to tell your parents so that they can take immediate action, additionally look for the symptoms below.

Warning signs of hearing loss

• Hearing muffled sounds.

• Difficulty in understanding conversations in noisy places.

• Difficulty in hearing high-pitch sounds.

• Difficulty in hearing speech consonants.

• Ringing in ears.

• Asking someone to repeat what they said or speak loudly.

• Hypersensitivity to certain sounds.

Some ways to prevent it

• Turn down the volume to the recommended level.

• Regular breaks are essential when using headphones to give ears time to rest.

• Use noise-cancelling headphones, they block external sound which allows one to enjoy their music at low volumes.

• Replacing earbuds or in-the-ear headphones with over-the-ear headphones.

• Reduce listening time.

• Clean your headphones/earbuds on regular basis to prevent ear infections and ensure optimal performance.

• Get a routine checkup of ears.

Also, even if you don’t use headphones outside the house, if someone in your family does, headphones can be dangerous. This is because they block out other sounds, so people using them might not hear cars or people calling them. You should remind them to be careful.

Headphones will continue to play a crucial role in shaping our digital and social lives. Their influence is likely to expand further into areas like virtual and augmented reality, and will remain an important part of remote work and online education.

However, we must use them responsibly. The benefits of headphones should be balanced with awareness of their potential health-related hazards. We must choose to enjoy sound healthily. Let’s make headphones a positive part of our lives, not a harmful habit.

Published in Dawn, Young World, July 20th, 2024