The signature white iPod buds sitting in ears may be do more than deliver music -- they could cause hearing damage.
Kathryn Wexler, an associate faculty member in the speech and hearing department, said an increase of hearing problems at younger ages could be connected with the portable MP3 player fad.
"There are so many noise problems out there," she said. "Especially dealing with music."
She added that while the phenomenon is very real, there are no current studies with data on the subject.
Wexler said there is an easy method to determine if personal stereo systems are too loud.
"If someone has to yell for you to hear, then it's too loud," she said.
Political science freshman Ralph Robles knows he listens to his personal stereo system too loudly but isn't going to do anything about it.
He said yelling isn't even enough sometimes.
"My friends have actually had to call me when they were walking behind so that they could reach me," he said.
Wexler said smaller ear buds can cause more damage than larger headphones.
The output levels on smaller ear buds are higher because they drown out more noise.
But the combination of volume and length of time music is listened to is more important than the size of the headphones, she added.
Some basic guidelines have been established to determine a safe volume level and time limit to listen to music.
"It's safe to listen to 80 decibels for eight hours," she said.
According to the League for the Hard of Hearing, conversation is about 60 decibels, while shouting is close to 110.
For every five decibels exceeding 80, the time limit must be cut in half.
"At 85 decibels, four hours of listening is the limit," she said.
Wexler said if the decibel levels are exceeded continually, damage could occur to the cochlea, the sensory cells in the inner ear.
The National Institute on Deafness said more than 28 million Americans have hearing damage, while 30 million are exposed to dangerous noise levels every day.
Religious studies exchange student Camilla Christensen listens to her MP3 player while walking to class.
She tries to keep the volume at a safe level, not only to stave off damage to her hearing, but also to be aware of her surroundings.
"When I ride my bike or its late at night and dark outside, I turn the volume down," she said.
Reach the reporter at kristi.eaton@asu.edu.
