Should we be allowed to deafen ourselves? | Music | guardian.co.uk
With the news that the EU has identified a risk of hearing loss to anyone listening to in-ear music over a volume of 89db, we must consider the way we consume music. Do you listen to music on the tube? Or walking down a crowded high street? Chances are that if you do, you’re whacking the volume up on your MP3 player or mobile phone to levels above what is considered safe to compete with the background noise. Apparently, most MP3 players go up to 100db and can reach up to 120db if you have a pair of plug-in earphones. I listen to my iPod when I’m commuting, but after I’ve got on the tube and the doors hiss shut, I take my headphones off. There’s no way I want to slam up the volume to a ludicrous level to compete with screeching brakes and whooshing rails – it’s just not worth it.