NPR – In 2023, over half a billion pairs of headphones were sold—nearly double the number sold a decade ago.
Many of us wear earbuds for hours at a time, sometimes all day long. And all that listening is taking a toll on our hearing.
According to the World Health Organization, over 1 billion young adults, ages 12 to 35, are at risk of permanent, avoidable hearing loss due to “unsafe listening practices.”
How can we listen more safely?
1. Set a max volume limit on your phone
On an iPhone, go to Settings → Sounds & Haptics → Headphone Safety, select “Reduce Loud Audio” and set the limit to 75 dBA, as that’s the lowest setting offered.
On a Samsung Galaxy smartphone, go to Settings → Sounds and Vibration → Volume, then tap the three dots in the upper right hand corner and select “Media Volume Limit.” Toggle the switch to “On” and use the slider to set your maximum volume level.
2. Avoid listening for too long
If you tend to listen to your earbuds at higher volume, consider taking more breaks to give your ears a rest.
“Your ear can totally handle high levels of sound if they are relatively short. What we’re trying to avoid are high levels of sound you’re having for prolonged periods of time, hours at a time,” said Neitzel.
3. If your earbuds have a noise canceling feature, use it! Especially in loud places
Noise-canceling mode provides your ears a bit of extra protection from a loud environment. “For instance, if you’re riding on a really noisy subway, cutting down on that background sound lets you cut down on your listening volume,” explained Neitzel. “So, those are both wins for your ears.”
Neitzel said opting for noise transparency mode is a good option as well, for times when you want to hear your surroundings for safety reasons, but also want to provide your ears with some protection.
4. Notice how noise exposure makes you feel physically and mentally
Loud environments can make us feel stressed, anxious and on-edge …
