Can they hear you now?More Kids Expo

Ann Arbor, Michigan – It’s no surprise to see teenagers wearing headphones or earbuds, but national polls suggest they’re becoming more prevalent among younger children.

Two in three parents say their children ages 5 to 12 use a personal audio device, and half of parents of children ages 5 to 8 say their elementary school-age children use a device. It is reported that

According to CS Mott Children’s, University of Michigan Health, half of parents whose children use headphones or earbuds say their child uses them for at least an hour a day, and one in six. reported that a typical day for children is at least two hours of screen time. National poll of hospitals on children’s health.

“In recent years, we have primarily been concerned about teenagers overusing audio devices. However, earphones are becoming increasingly popular and widespread among younger children. children are exposed to more intense noise on a regular basis,” said Susan Woolford, MD, MPH, a Mott pediatrician and co-director of the Mott Poll.

“The risk of noise exposure for young children has historically been associated with noisy, idiosyncratic events such as concerts and fireworks, but parents often underestimate the potential harm from excessive use of eavesdropping devices. It can be difficult to know whether it’s healthy for your child to be exposed to noise.”

Research shows that children are most likely to use these devices at home, school, and in the car. Also, about a quarter of parents say their child sometimes uses an audio device on a plane, but fewer say their child uses an audio device on the bus, outside, or in bed. She was less than 10%.

Half of parents agree that headphones or earbuds help entertain their children.

In 2023, the American Academy of Pediatrics released a statement on the need to reduce noise risks to children, saying children and teens may be more exposed through personal eavesdropping devices. Evidence is mounting.

According to Woolford, long-term or extreme exposure to large amounts of noise can lead to long-term health problems such as hearing loss and tinnitus.

“Young children are more vulnerable to potential harm from noise exposure because their auditory systems are still developing. Their ear canals are also smaller than adults, so the level of perceived sound is greater. “It will be,” Woolford said.

“Small hair cells in the inner ear pick up sound waves and help us hear. When these are damaged or die, hearing loss is irreversible.”

She added that children’s noise exposure can affect their sleep, schoolwork, language, stress levels and even blood pressure.

More parents of children aged 9 to 12 years than children aged 5 to 8 years report that their children use headphones or earphones, and daily usage rates tend to be higher among older age groups. The survey results suggest that.

However, only half of parents said they try to limit their children’s use of audio devices, citing strategies such as encouraging their children to take breaks, setting screen time, and using timers.

Parents whose children use headphones for more than two hours a day are also less likely to set time or volume limits than parents who report their children use headphones less.

Mr Woolford offers four tips to reduce the risk of children being exposed to noise through headphones or earbuds.

Monitor volume levels

Parents can minimize the negative effects of audio device use by monitoring and adjusting their child’s volume and device usage time, Woolford says.

She encourages parents to follow the 60/60 rule. This means that your child should be limited to using audio equipment to no more than 60 minutes per day and to no more than 60% of her maximum volume.

If the sound level of your listening device is less than 70 dBA (the relative loudness of decibels you can hear), noise-related damage is unlikely to occur.

“A good way to tell if your audio equipment is too loud is if your child wearing headphones can’t hear you when you’re at arm’s length,” she said. Ta.

Parents can also limit the risk to their children by identifying the amount of time spent on audio devices or using a timer to record it.

Use noise-cancelling or volume-limited headphones

Parents should check the information on the device packaging to identify products that limit volume and consider noise exposure risks when purchasing audio equipment for their children. .

However, Woolford warns that some products marketed as “child-safe” do not limit the volume to 70 decibels.

However, children should avoid using noise-cancelling listening devices in situations where sound perception is important for safety.

“Noise-cancelling devices may help prevent children from turning the volume up too high,” Woolford says. “However, these devices should not be used when children are engaged in activities where hearing their surroundings is important for their safety, such as walking or biking.”

Allow children to take a break from personal eavesdropping devices

Woolford says parents should help their children intentionally set aside “device-free” time each day. This may include putting away or locking your child’s audio device when a time limit has passed.

Children may also be encouraged to enjoy music at a lower volume in their room instead of using earphones to reduce noise.

Woolford says personal audio devices should also be avoided when children are asleep or at bedtime.

Be aware of early symptoms of hearing loss

If parents feel their child is at risk of hearing loss from the use of audio devices, they recommend consulting with a pediatrician, audiologist, or ear, nose and throat specialist.

“Early signs of hearing loss include making repeated requests, hearing frequent ringtones, speaking loudly to people nearby, delayed speech, and not responding to loud noises,” Woolford said.

“Health care providers may be able to help parents by briefly explaining hearing loss so that they understand why their child may be limiting their use of audio devices.”