Young people risking hearing loss
"Listening to your iPod on full volume for just six minutes may lead to irreversible hearing damage." Image: dja65/iStockphoto Listening to your iPod on full volume for just six minutes may lead to irreversible hearing damage, ECU researchers have found. School of Psychology and Social Science researcher Associate Professor Paul Chang’s new project focuses of Noise-Induced Hearing Loss (NIHL), and how it can mean a lifetime of hearing damage for young people. Professor Chang’s research has been used to develop Scitech’s newest exhibition, Sonic Silence. The new exhibition gives people a unique insight into hearing loss, by allowing them to enter an interactive world where sounds are distorted and hearing is affected. Professor Chang surveyed three groups from different age ranges to get an understanding of how often they are exposed to loud noises, and whether they understand the consequences. Key findings from the research include: 50.6 per cent of 12 – 17 year-olds listen to music...