Ever wonder what’s going to happen to the guy who listens to his music so loudly on the train or bus that everyone else can hear it?
It’s probably not good.
A new report has found that the millions of people who wear headphones and listen to music for more than an hour per day are at risk of damaging their hearing.
The World Health Organization, which commissioned the report, said that 1.1 billion teenagers and young adults across the world are risking damaging their hearing by listen to music too much and too loudly.
The organization’s figures show that 43 million people between the ages of 12 and 35 are at risk “due to the unsafe use of personal audio devices and exposure to damaging levels of sound in noisy entertainment venues.” It says that 50 percent of young people who use headphones with personal audio devices, computers, and smartphones are at risk.
But it’s not just headphones that are causing hearing problems: About 40 percent of people aged 12 to 35 are “exposed to potentially damaging levels of sound at nightclubs, bars, and sporting events.”
WHO says volumes above 85 decibels for eight hours or 100 decibels for 15 minutes are unsafe.
