LANGUAGE LEVEL
INTERMEDIATE
CAN MUSIC PLAYERS DAMAGE HEARING?
C
47 track 10
Speakers: Melissa Heimberg (British accent)
health Hearing loss is starting younger for many individuals, and one of the main causes is portable music devices, such as Apple’s iPod. Teenagers and young adults are experiencing temporary hearing loss, or tinnitus1, and the main symptom is ringing in the ears. This happens when music is played too loudly and too closely to the eardrum, which does damage to the hair cells in the ear that transmit sound impulses to the brain. “We turn it up without realizing that we’re doing damage,” Brian Fligor, an audiologist at Boston Children’s Hospital, said in an interview with Rolling Stone. “Noise-induced hearing loss develops2 so slowly and insidiously that we don’t know it’s happened until it’s too late.” According to Consumer Reports, those listening to portable music players should never set the volume higher than 85 decibels, which is about the same level as a vacuum cleaner. Because of individuals wanting to block out unwanted3 noise, many turn the music up to levels much higher than suggested. Fligor also explained that the kind of headphones used greatly affect the risks of hearing loss: “The
closer to the eardrum, the higher the sound levels the system is capable of producing.” For example, the earplugs used for Apple’s iPod, which are inserted directly into the ear, are one of the most damaging types of equipment. According to Rolling Stone, 22 million Americans own an iPod or another digital music player. Because the music is so close to the ear canal, the higher the sound played, the more damage is done. For the iPod, the volume can go as high as 130 decibels, which is equivalent to a jackhammer4. Many students at Elizabethtown College own iPods, or have other portable music devices which they play frequently. “I listen to music at full blast and I know it’s not very good”, junior Jurgen Castro said. “If I listen to two songs there’s a ringing in my ears, but I still do it anyway.” “I feel it’s a personal choice to how high or low people listen to music,” sophomore Tony Rizzardi said. “Being a bio pre-med major, I do know the impact it will have on the body. It’s no real surprise to me that it will be significant5 to our generation in the future with hearing.”
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Apple was recently sued because of the damage the earbuds may cause, and the main concern was how high the sound can range. The lawsuit6 claimed that the company does not adequately warn users about the possibility of hearing damage. However, Apple has always issued warnings on its iPod packages stating that hearing loss may occur if the object is set at a high volume. The plaintiff wanted Apple to upgrade the iPods with better equipment to protect the customers against hearing damage. In fact, according to “CBS News,” Apple has already restricted a 100 decibel cap on the European iPod models because of strict7 volume laws in the other countries. “Capping the volume focuses on the sound level, not the dose,” Fligor said in an interview with “CBS News.” “If you set the cap at 100, that doesn’t give you license to listen all day.” In 2001, Fligor completed a study that tested how long and how loud someone could safely listen to portable music players, such as the iPod. For those using over-the-ear headphones, an hour a day with the volume set lower was the best suggestion without causing too
“I LISTEN TO MUSIC AT FULL BLAST AND I KNOW IT’S NOT VERY GOOD”
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much harm. But for those with inthe-ear earphones, only 30 minutes a day was recommended. Still, some people do not feel the difference after listening to music at extremely high decibels for longs periods of time. “I never had a problem with hearing loss,” first-year Neal Dawes said. “I’ve had music at a max setting8 and I don’t have any problems.” A new EU study has found that listening to personal music players at a high volume, over a long period, can permanently damage hearing. The research was conducted by the EU Scientific Committee on Emerging and Newly Identified Health Risks (SCENIHR) and found that up to 10% of listeners risk permanent damage if they listen to a personal music player for more than an hour a day over successive weeks at high volume.
from exposure to noise from personal music players. ‘The scientific findings indicate a clear risk and we need to react rapidly. ‘Most importantly we need to raise consumer awareness10 and put this information in the public domain. ‘We need also to look again at the controls in place, in the light of this scientific advice, to make sure they are fully effective and keep pace with new technology,’ she added. Sydney’s National Acoustic Laboratories found a quarter of personal music system users in a random sample listened to music at dangerous volumes.
Glossary 1
tinnitus - zumbido
2
develops - desenvolve
3
unwanted - indesejados
4
jackhammer - britadeira
Scientists from the independent committee confirm that there is real cause for concern.
5
significant - significativo
6
lawsuit - ação judicial
7
strict - estrito
The European Commission will now examine with member states and stakeholders, measures9 to protect children and adolescents
8
setting - ajuste
9
measures - medidas
10
awareness - sensibilização