American teenagers hear it all the time from their parents, "Are you listening to me? Turn down that music or you'll hurt your ears." A new study has found the parents may be right.
The study has found that many young people in the United States do not hear as well as they used to. One out of five American teenagers have some hearing loss. That is a 30% increase in the past fifteen years. One out of twenty teens have a large hearing loss. That is a fifty percent increase.
The study has also found that boys are more likely to have hearing problems than girls. The age of the teens had no influence on their chances of a hearing loss. The researchers say they are not sure why some teenagers are losing their hearing. Not enough studies have been done and more are needed. Some say the reasons may be found in their diet or in their DNA. Others believe that listening to loud music on MP3 players with earphones is the main reason. Researchers think that some teenagers do not realize that they are listening to music at very loud levels. Researchers suggest parents stand next to their children while they are wearing earphones. If the parents can hear the music, the sound is too loud. Teenagers should set the volume (音量) control on their music players to somewhere between one half and two thirds the highest level, never louder.
Even a small hearing loss can influence a child's social development. Communication skills and grades in school can also be influenced. Doctor Eavey says, " What we are seeing is a big jump in the chances of hearing loss in a very short time."
a. teenagers' diet
b. teenagers' DNA
c. listening to much music with earphones
d. listening to loud music with earphones
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