by ronoc dnalien

Created on: November 20, 2008

From all around sound travels in all directions from its source. Our ears our sensitive to sound because our ears are designed to react with the energy of sound. Sound is an energy that is conducted through a medium to somewhere other than its source. In this debate, I am referring to headphones as the source of sound. In its close proximity to the ear drum it as the potential to cause damage, but then again so does everything else we interact with.

A fast sports car can increase the experience of pleasure when driving. An alcoholic drink can ease the tension when socialising. A good set of headphones can concentrate the pleasure of music when listening. Been able to listen to sound in such a personal way is one of the great gifts technology as bestowed on the average person. It is a device that offers all the benefits of audio to anyone who desires to hear, without restrictions of place and time. The listening of music, for example, with headphones envelopes one of our senses in a world that can take our whole being there as if by magic.

Headphones do not damage hearing, the same way guns and bullets do not kill people, the same way that gambling does not cause financial ruin. A sharp some bound with a vine on the end of a stick swung by someone with intent, can kill, the point is intent. Headphones are a device which can be abused to cause harm. By increasing the output, energy of sound through a headphone the eardrum that absorbs this energy can become damaged. Sounds above a certain decibel will affect the effectiveness of the eardrum. Damage done is a result of intensity combined with time. It is when an individual overdoes it that damage occurs.

What is the argument here; does anyone not agree that when someone chooses to overdo something, that it causes damage. What is the debate; has personal headphones the potential to harm a persons hearing, well of course it does, is my hearing going to be damaged just because I use headphones, well that completely depends on how headphones are used. It is my argument that headphones can be used in such a way as to gain maximum pleasure and advantage from them without any adverse effects. It is my argument that common sense should be enough of a qualification for people to avoid any potential harm from using headphones.

Lets stop these silly debates, lets move on. Personal responsibility spread it around. I personally dislike the way music is being constantly compressed into smaller blocks of digital information. By taking away the analogue sound wave of analogue recording, we are producing reproductions that at lower volumes of sound have a greater potential to damage the effectiveness of our eardrums. The sound is becoming sharper, pulsing against the eardrum unlike the needle vibrations amplified dragging across the vinyl grooves, a richer sound more rounded and less damaging.

Music holds a special bond that runs deep within us. It plays to our conscious minds and our sub-conscious minds. Perhaps with current methods of reproduction listeners need to raise the volume just to feel the feeling, if that is the case do not blame the headphones.

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