Young Kid at a Music Festival

I was just scrolling through Facebook and came across this post. If this doesn’t sum up the sentiment around the dangers of loud sound, particularly to kids, then I don’t know what does.

One person tries to make a point of the risks and is jumped upon. People have no clue. This lack of education on the matter is what perpetuates the problem.













Lyndsey’s and Mickey’s comments really triggered me knowing what we know.

I just made a reply:



EDIT:

Geoff added this just before I replied:



At least someone gets it.

I also just added this:



And this:



The amount of laughing emojis that are accumulating on Geoff’s post pisses me off. People have no idea.

 

Their attitude is absolutely disgusting, but I don’t blame them, they are just completely ignorant of the dangers. Unfortunately many of us only learn the hard way, and that’s why many of us are in this forum.

Also, some people are just genetically superior. I know people that rave like crazy and have no ear problems, I know because I used to be one of them. It took around 8 years of blasting my ears and going to music festivals for me to reach this level of tinnitus and hyperacusis, but it might take just one time for a person to screw up theirs, they won’t know until it happens.

 

To me, it just illustrates how uneducated people are around the risks of noise damage to young kids’ ears. The vast majority are oblivious and are likely to take their kids near the speakers because they don’t know any better. They are unaware of the damage they could be doing.

 

This enrages me! I have always thought it to be completely irresponsible to have children and animals (dogs especially) around that kind of volume. Just because you can stand the noise, doesn’t mean children/animals can. I talk about animals because I have been to a few raves where people have brought dogs along. Dogs ears are highly sensitive and I was always thinking how incredibly distressing/painful it must be for them to be stood right next to a massive, pumping stack of speakers.

Children are the same. Ears are still fragile and developing. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a metal head through and through and love my music loud (which is why I’m here), but I wouldn’t never put a child in a position where their ears could be compromised.

 

It would be cool to see some more people responding to that Planet Rock post. I see these moments as opportunities to create more awareness amongst the clueless. Someone or someone’s kid may dodge a bullet because of it.

 

The vast majority don’t understand that kids’ ears are far more fragile than adult ones, so when I saw a ton of criticism and abuse towards the only person who brought that issue up (including a load of laughing emojis at him) I felt compelled to post.

 

Sad that those people do not look at the kids of musicians or kids of wealthy people like Prince William in the UK.

James Hetfield's (Metallica) daughter did wear earmuffs when she was on stage at one of the concerts.

And the kids of the Duke of Cambridge wear earmuffs when they are going to board a plane or a helicopter.

So they are well aware of the dangers of loud sound and protect their kids accordingly.

Sadly, people doing the right thing and providing earmuffs for their kids when needed does not get enough media exposure.

 

Definitely right about kids’ ears being more susceptible to damage. There’s a news story I read recently about how a family is taking legal action against Apple after their child was blasted by amber alerts unexpectedly while wearing AirPods, resulting in permanent hearing loss and tinnitus.

Here’s the story:

Apple sued after loud Amber Alert on AirPods said to damage Texas boy's hearing

Poor kid... I hope they win.

 

Laughing emojis are the coward's response.

 

This discussion around kids’ hearing reminds me of this thread.

Raver Tots: A Rave Event That’s Especially for Babies, Toddlers, and Kids

 

Some more of the discussion:









People should take note of what Pat York is saying. I'm not happy with Planet Rock’s explanation as there is no proof about anything they’ve said. All I see is a very young girl at a rock festival with no hearing protection whatsoever, and it doesn’t send out a great message to idiotic parents who might take their kids off the back of that post with no protection.

All we can see is that she has no protection when it should be worn at all times otherwise the effectiveness is massively reduced. We have no idea how loud the background levels are, but there could easily be a blast of feedback from that nearby speaker stack.

I just think these big publications should send out the right message and make sure that images of young kids include them wearing hearing protection.

 

This is so damn sad. I thought getting hearing problems at 27 was bad. I can’t imagine getting them so young. What a terrible, terrible situation.

Also, why the fuck are the warnings so loud!? I remember the traffic announcements on the radio absolutely blasting me and making jump out my skin whilst driving.

 

Hell put me on a damn commercial like they do for smoking warnings, of course people would make fun of me, but like that's not the worst thing to ever happen to me anyways. I mean, if I had known how bad it would get then I am sure I would have changed my tune. I think if we educate in a matter of fact way, doesn't have to be a fear tactic (I think that's what kind of dissuades people from taking it seriously)...

However, seeing the way my country deals with public health after the pandemic... Yeah I don't think people are going to care or change. For some reason people have a disinterest in their own well being and health.

 

I often think about the way I see very young people who barely had one noise incident get on these forums and it makes me realize how lucky I was for many years even though I did get it young (24?)... Still, I could have had it years ago. Though I likely did have it but didn't hear it because it was very very mild?

 

SMH at this Findo Gask person calling Geoff’s “rant” woke. It’s a health hazard for kids and also backed by medical science. There is no social justice element here lol.

 

Everything about this is so damn trashy. And also again, too loud for little ears.

 

People view health (mental, physical, neurological, etc etc) and science backed stuff as “woke.”

I honestly feel it has a lot to do with the way people view their peers with chronic illness and disabilities. Unfortunately, to a lot of folks, those with disabilities and chronic illnesses are “weak” and I honestly think they feel we deserve it in some way. However, you and I know that we are no more weak than anyone else. Maybe just unlucky. But they view our advisories as finger wagging and over exaggerating because we’re “delicate” and they’re somehow more “strong” and able to handle things we can’t. Like noise. Like literally scientifically proven damaging noise. But hell what do I know. I’m just the physical manifestation of those exact mistakes... I just hear phantom sounds 24/7. Blow your kids’ hair cells.

 

If you're white and you are using the term "woke," it's cultural appropriation. Just don't do it. These people are telling on themselves.

 

You bring up a lot of good points here.

 

People like Findo are oblivious to their own ignorance.

 

Agreed. It is really alarming to see this out in the real world, for example when I am driving through my neighborhood I don't think I have seen anyone use ear protection when out mowing the lawn, including many kids who don't know any better.

 

We spread awareness to people who are open to our arguments. We can't save everybody. I mean, Republicans aren't trying to win over die-hard Democrats. It doesn't work and would be wasted resources.

Part is also how you formulate your message. Geoff started immediately with "what you do is wrong". How many people are you going to win over to your side if you start to put them down the moment you open your mouth? Start with a little sweet talk and build some common ground, then you can squeeze your message in. It may not work on everybody, but it certainly increases your chance of getting your message across.

 

Geoff started by saying “parenting done wrong” as a direct retort to the person above saying “parenting done right.” I thought Geoff was very civil whereas everyone else was rude and demeaning.

I understand what you are saying, but nothing will change people's minds when they’re like that. It doesn’t matter what you say, but I believe it’s still worth adding a word of warning for those who may be reading but not responding. Even if only 0.01% take on board what’s being said, that’s still better than nothing.

 

The pessimist in me reckons people just have to learn the hard way. About pretty much anything.

 

That's metal heads for you! If it's too loud you are too old! I know I used to be one myself! They don't think straight. You can just feel the ignorance from those posts. It's all about exposing your children to loud music and forcing them to listen to what you want them to listen to. There is nothing cute about this, that's parenting done beyond wrong. I blew up my ears due to metal music, and I know others that also damaged their hearing from going to metal concerts and playing in metal bands.

 

People don't know any better. There should be big warnings on concert tickets. If you go to a concert, you have to really really look around to find anybody wearing earplugs. Luckily, the majority of people don't get tinnitus no matter what they do. We are the unlucky ones.

 

In my younger days, we went to so many concerts that I can't count them. It was easy to do when ticket prices were $5, and it was unusual to see them above that. $10 was the max, and I think that was for Bob Marley. Grand Funk Railroad was known as the loudest band and we were on the floor and close to the band.

We normally sat in the front,but upstairs in Mobile Municipal Auditorium. The concerts in New Orleans Municipal Auditorium and The Warehouse were usually heard on the floor level, sometimes right up front (although we never were like 10 feet and directly in front of the speakers). It never gave any of us any hearing problems. My tinnitus came from a doctor giving me a prescription of antibiotics. When I complained to him about my ears ringing he said don't worry. it would go away. Ha!

Not long ago we went to Gregg Allman's concert not long before he died, which was in a small venue in Daytona Beach. Even w/ my tinnitus and hyperacusis we were fine for over 2 hours. But when we tried to go into some clubs in New Orleans about 6 years ago, my wife and I couldn't go inside due to the high volume. In the larger venues there is a lot more room for the sound to go to, and the bands are usually focused on sound quality, not loudness. In the smaller club venues they really turn the sound up much higher than in the olden days. I've never worn ear plugs in a concert, and w/ my tinnitus I avoid them like Dracula avoids crosses. Strangely enough, my hearing is still very good at age 71.

 

Wild.