MP3 Players Are Making Us Deaf
24 September 2007
The latest news out is that MP3 players are making us go deaf. Seventy per cent of people under thirty have experienced dullness in hearing and tinnitus, and it appears that loud music is a major cause.
But is this new? Portable music devices have been around since the seventies and eighties, when walkmans were all the rage. Were we turning ourselves deaf back then? Or were we just not noticing?
Or is it that it is more common to listen to music by ourselves rather than in groups? It is becoming more common in offices now days to see people wearing headphones, whether they be connected to an iPod, Walkman, or audio streaming on the Internet. Everyone has their own preference in music, making headphones a must now days, particularly in open plan offices that are common now days.
Bring back the good old days when everyone had their own office, and you could play whatever music took your fancy without having to go in to your own little world!