Did you know that cranking the volume on your portable music player for more than five minutes a day can permanently damage your hearing?
According to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD), any prolonged exposure at higher than 80 decibels and any frequent short-term exposure at 100 decibels can cause permanent noise-induced hearing loss.
Fortunately, some companies have taken notice. You can limit the volume levels on many MP3 players, including the most popular hand held, the iPod. In fact, on the iPod, a parent can even lock that volume so that a child is unable to turn up the volume past a safe level.
So make sure you crank it down and limit your listening time. Even the best jams aren’t worth sacrificing your hearing.
- From the first menu on your iPod, select Settings > Volume Limit.
- Use the click wheel to adjust the volume level to just under half the possible volume. Press the Center button to set this limit.
- The iPod will return you to the Volume Limit screen. Select “Set Combination” to create the passcode needed to change this limit. Use the click wheel to select a number, and the Center button to set it and move on to the next number.
- When you’ve finished, pressing the Center button in the last number will return you to the Volume Limit screen.
If successful, whenever the volume is turned up, you will see a lock on the right hand side of the volume bar.
For more information, check out the following articles:
The MP3 Generation: At Risk for Hearing Loss?
The Children´s Hearing Institute – Hearing Health/Preserving Hearing
Check out this informational video from Cleveland Clinic: