Protect your ears: limit iPod use
The ever-popular earbuds used with many iPods and other MP3
players may be more stylish than the bigger and bulkier
earmuff-type headphones, but they may also be more damaging to
one's hearing, according to a Northwestern professor.
"No one really knows for sure" the levels at which iPod users
listen to music, but "what we do know is that young people like
their music loud and seldom worry about any decline in hearing
ability."
This danger is not confined to MP3 users, such as iPod owners.
Earbuds are also used with compact disc players and Walkmans.
Audiologists have cautioned about the potential risk of hearing
loss associated with such devices since the 1980s. The longer
battery life and the greater music storage capacity of MP3
players, in comparison to Walkmans and compact discs, however,
encourage longer periods of uninterrupted music listening.
Noise-canceling headphones are another option for those who
desire to listen to music for an extended period of time. These
devices, while a bit more costly and more visible than earbuds,
partially or fully eliminate background noise so that users do
not have to crank up the volume of their music for that purpose.
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