According to new research, more than 1 billion teenagers and young adults may be at risk for hearing loss. Reason: too much usage of headphones and earbuds, apart from frequent visits to loud music venues.
The researchers also suggested that governments, businesses, and civic society must prioritize and promote safe listening habits.
The study coincides with the World Health Organization’s estimation of some 430 million individuals suffering from hearing-related issues.
According to a study published in the journal BMJ Global Health, young people are particularly at risk because they use personal listening devices (PLDs), including cellphones, headphones, and earbuds, and frequent loud music venues in the face of lax regulatory enforcement.
According to another BMJ research, PLD users typically select sound settings up to 105 dB, while typical sound levels at entertainment venues range from 104 to 112 dB, above safe levels (80 dB for adults; 75 dB for children), even if only for brief periods.
According to a pooled data review, PLD use and attendance at loud entertainment venues are linked to risky listening behaviors in teens and young people globally by 24 and 48%, respectively.
The researchers estimate that between 0.67 and 1.35 billion teenagers and young adults globally may be at risk of hearing loss based on these figures.
The absence of standardized methods and the varying study design, peculiar to studies on entertainment venues, are two fundamental limitations the researchers recognize apply to their findings.