Many have become victim to the undeniably negative effects of “iPod culture.” While listening to their iPods, people have walked into oncoming traffic and have become more isolated. Yet again, the iPod continues to cause another damaging effect.

Most students want to tune out the world when listening to their iPods. The sound of the wind, cars or even the voices of the people right next to them can’t creep into their ears. When the headphones are in, anything but music is drowned out.

Though headphones are supposed to make music only heard by the user, I have found that most people’s music is so loud that it can be heard clearly when standing in the same elevator as the user.

According to an April 23 article in the Chicago Tribune, many teenagers have already been diagnosed with some loss of hearing due to listening to MP3 players at high volumes. A 1990 survey by the National Center for Health Statistics reported that, out of the 23.3 million Americans who have hearing loss, about 1.3 million of them are 18 or younger. The alarming statistics are only on the rise. It’s been causing enough concern that Mac has released new software this year that allows parents to limit the volume of their child’s iPods.

Since there is no law prohibiting manufacturers to limit the volume levels of their products, it is up to us to figure what is safe.

According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, a safe exposure limit for noise is 85 decibels. At the highest volume level, the iPod can reach 115 decibels, which is equivalent to rock concerts. Ear damage can occur only three minutes when listening to 97 decibels, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Most students probably don’t realize the damage it can do to their hearing, because over time, the ears adapt to loud noise. For the most part, it should be obvious that if your music can be heard by others, it’s too loud.

It’s not just the extreme volume levels that have proved to be a problem. Prolonged use is also a factor. Longer battery life allows users to listen to music for hours, when hearing damage can occur much sooner. Also, earphones popular today go directly into the ears and cause even more damage compared to the older ones that cover the ears.

Certainly, the sound of the world around us isn’t always that horrible that we need to tune it out with music. There is nothing wrong with listening to music and being able to listen to the world around you. It’s actually safer that way, not only for your ears, but when walking around campus, where anything could happen.

It seems evident that even something as small as an iPod can still have a great impact on society, as we’re already seeing. People need to start protecting themselves in the simple ways that we often overlook. The solution is obvious: Save your ears and turn down the iPod.