Feel the vibe!
Young people love the sense of excitement that loud music brings. It helps them to escape from the day-to-day world and transcend to new shared experiences, but listening to loud music over a prolonged period can have a damaging effect on our ears. The World Health Organisation has estimated that 50% of all our 12-35-year-olds will have hearing loss by the time they are 50. Read on to find out how Sound Warriors can help you ensure that your child dosen’t become another WHO statistic.
LoH and loud music
Inspired by Dr Ava Hunt Associate Professor of Applied Theatre at Derby University, the young performers of Derby Youth Theatre wanted to tell their friends about the dangers of loud music so they created the character LoH.
LoH’s name stands for Loss of Hearing, and he is doing his best to make sure that the volume is as loud as it can be. LoH hides in plain sight so that people forget he is around, but he is everywhere, at the disco, dance class, gym, cinema, and sports events. He even conceals himself in computer games.
Watch LoH in action on the Derby Theatre Page of our website.
Knowledge is power
The great news is that although noise-induced hearing loss is irreversible, it’s entirely preventable. Can you help us to spread awareness about ear empowerment? Here are some ideas for you to start a conversation with a young person to stop LoH before he can do any harm.
- Talk about hearing and how different sounds can change your mood – the sea, birdsong, a pneumatic drill, a computer game, a rock band. How do loud sounds make you feel?
- Try this riddle “What things you can hear but can’t see?
- Try to communicate without voice for a few minutes. How does it make you feel?
- Imagine Loh getting up to mischief. Where does he like to hang out? What does he do to make it uncomfortable for others? How can you banish LoH from your life?
- There are lots more ideas on the activities pages of our website
Love your Ears
Here are some practical measures that you can take to protect your hearing and love your ears.
- Follow the 60/60 rule – turn the volume to no more than 60%. Take a break after 60 minutes.
- Wear earplugs in noisy environments. There are lots on the market but we especially like the ones created by Loop Earplugs because we think the vibrant colours will appeal to young people.
- Use a free app such as dB X from SkyPaw or the innovative Sound Print to measure sound levels
- Talk to your GP if you have ringing in the ears that doesn’t go away after a few days
Want to know more?
Here is a flavour of some of the other BLOGs on our website
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Answer to riddle – “What things can you hear, but can’t see” The wind, a phone ringing, thunder. What else can you think of?
Images from Derby Youth Theatre Other artwork created on Canva.com
Disco cover photo by Photo by Jesus Loves Austin on Unsplash
