According to the World Health Organization (WHO), listening to music at inappropriate volumes threatens the hearing of many young people. This can lead to permanent hearing loss. Among Estonian youth, there are also many hearing problems that develop over a lifetime.
Marie Muinasmaa, a student at Gustav Adolf Gymnasium, studied her classmates' awareness of the dangers of headphones. She found that nearly a third of the students have experienced signs of hearing loss. She also investigated the volume levels of different headphones and discovered that in-ear headphones produce higher sound pressure than other types.
Using sound pressure wisely and being aware of the dangers are very important. This helps prevent hearing problems. Pille Säälik, a member of the journal Akadeemia, emphasizes that young people need to learn how to listen to music safely.
The human ear perceives sound as changes in air pressure. The more the sound waves oscillate, the higher the sound they produce. Humans can hear sounds with frequencies ranging from 20 to 20,000 hertz. The loudness of sound also affects hearing. Noise is harmful sound that can damage hearing. For example, at concerts and nightclubs, the noise level is very high, which can be dangerous.
Headphones are devices that convert electrical signals into sound. They are placed near or inside the ear. Headphones are popular, especially among young people. Headphones should be cleaned regularly to avoid illnesses.
Marie Muinasmaa studied how high school students use their headphones. She found that only a quarter of the students clean their headphones properly. Approximately a third of the students have experienced signs of hearing loss. Marie recommends that young people learn more about the safe use of headphones.