The Case Against Headphones

The Case Against Headphones

Many teenagers and college students walk around in a daze, oblivious to their surroundings because they’re wearing headphones to listen to their personal sound system. Not only do headphones make them socially isolated, but also they are contributing to hearing loss.

A study in the Journal of the American Medical Association reported that 20 percent of teenagers exhibit hearing loss because of overuse of their headphones. Hearing problems in teens have increased by 33 percent in the last 15 years. Some psychologists have complained headphones and iPods are making teens socially isolated. On the plus side, headphones make working out on the treadmill or elliptical trainer a lot easier. (The New York Times, January 7, 2011)