For many students, earbuds, most commonly AirPods, are a way to tune out from their surroundings. As soon as the earbuds go in, the sounds of crowded hallways, classroom noise and everyday distractions can fade into the background.
Sophomore Advait Kothuri uses AirPods during walks home or to play calming audios before bed, part of his daily routine. Many students’ daily routine, like Kothuri’s, consists of wireless earbuds, regardless of the potential harmful side effects.
“I probably use my AirPods for at least four or five hours a day, during class breaks, homework and even when falling asleep,” Kothuri said. “Sometimes I go higher on the volume if there’s noise around me.”
This kind of extended use can be risky. Exposure to sound levels above 85 decibels, about as loud as heavy city traffic or a food blender, for extended periods can lead to permanent hearing damage. Smartphones and wireless earbuds can exceed these levels, especially when used at maximum or near-maximum volume.
Noise-induced hearing loss occurs when tiny hair cells in the inner ear are damaged by sustained loud sound. Unlike some other types of hearing loss, this damage is irreversible. Earbuds, due to their proximity to the eardrum, can increase this risk compared to everyday noise from the environment.
“With concerts, you know it’s loud and it ends,” freshman Zahra Kothari said. “But with AirPods, you don’t realize how loud it is or how long you’ve been listening.”
Audiologists often compare in-ear devices to over-ear headphones when advising on safer listening practices. Over-ear headphones typically distribute sound more evenly and may block out environmental noise, reducing the need to increase volume.
“I’ve heard that loud sounds can mess up your hearing,” sophomore Srinika Kallem said. “But I’ve never experienced that because I use over-ear headphones.”
This approach to safer listening aligns with how noise-canceling technology is designed to reduce background noise, which can help users listen at lower volumes. Users with noise-canceling earbuds are less likely to raise the volume in a loud environment.
“I use noise canceling when I study,” Kothuri said. “I think it helps because I don’t have to blast the music to drown out everything else.”
Temporary symptoms like ringing in the ears (tinnitus) or muffled hearing can result from prolonged exposure to loud audio. These may serve as early signs of hearing stress, even if they fade quickly.
“After using my AirPods for a while, especially if I fall asleep with them in, I do notice faint ringing,” Kothari said. “It goes away, but it’s kind of weird.”
Apple has introduced features like headphone notifications and sound level tracking in some devices. These tools aim to help users monitor exposure and adjust their listening habits over time.
“Over-ear headphones feel safer to me,” Kallem said. “They block out sound better, so I don’t need to turn the volume all the way up like I do with AirPods.”
Dr. James E. Foy’s recommendations include the “60/60 rule,” which suggests listening at 60% volume for no more than 60 minutes at a time. Other measures include taking breaks and enabling volume limit settings on devices.
“To prevent going deaf, I would probably only listen for a little bit of time every day and try not to sleep with my AirPods,” Kothuri said.
Signs of early hearing damage can include trouble understanding speech in different environments, frequently increasing device volume or asking others to repeat themselves. These symptoms are subtle but gradually worsen, leading to long-term hearing loss if not addressed immediately.
“I guess I don’t know the signs besides going deaf and not being able to hear,” Kallem said. “I never thought things like ringing or turning the volume up could be a warning.”
