We followed the crowd toward the stadium. It was our first concert at an outdoor venue, and we had no idea how the open air would affect the sound. But we came prepared with ear protection. As someone who lives with hearing loss, I know no concert is worth damaging the hearing I have left.
As we circled the perimeter, the opening act was playing in the distance at what seemed to be a reasonable volume. Then we rounded the corner toward our seats. BLAST! We stepped back as if we had been physically struck and ducked behind a wall to put on our headphones. They stayed snugly in place for the rest of the night.
But when we looked around, we didn't see anyone else wearing hearing protection. Why don't more people protect their hearing when the risk is so obvious?
The Risk Is Real and Measurable
During the show, the decibel reader on my Apple Watch hovered between 90 and 100 decibels. Many concerts are even louder. According to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD), just 14 minutes at 100 decibels can damage hearing.
And once hearing is damaged, it doesn't return. Scientists have not yet found a way to repair the delicate inner ear hair cells that are often damaged by loud sounds.
The good news is that protection works. In a randomized trial at an Amsterdam music festival averaging 100 dBA, 42% of unprotected ears showed temporary hearing loss afterward, compared with just 8% of ears protected by earplugs. Ringing in the ears was also far less common among earplug wearers.
Why We Skip the Earplugs
If earplugs are cheap and effective, why are they so rarely used? The reasons may be less about ignorance than we think.
Denial. When you're young, hearing damage can feel like a distant problem. If the music sounds good and your ears aren't hurting, it's easy to assume you're fine. The consequences may not become apparent until much later.
Nobody else is doing it. Social norms are powerful. When no one around you is protecting their ears, wearing earplugs can feel awkward. It is easier to go along with the crowd.
Not wanting to ruin the sound. People worry earplugs will muffle the music they paid to hear. Others may wonder if earplugs will make them look odd or feel uncomfortable.
How to Make Hearing Protection the Norm
At a concert, turning down the volume or moving farther from the speakers isn't always practical. That makes hearing protection especially important. But knowing you should wear it and actually putting it on are two different things.
- Prepare ahead of time. Pack earplugs or earmuffs with your tickets so protection is a plan, not an in-the-moment choice. You will thank yourself when the music begins.
- Find a fit you'll actually wear. I use noise-canceling over-the-ear headphones because they stay put and don't create feedback with my hearing devices. Others prefer high-fidelity musician's earplugs, which lower volume without muffling the music.
- Measure the noise. A smartwatch or free decibel app turns an invisible risk into a visible number, which can counter the "it's not that loud" bias.
- Be the norm you want to see. Because peers shape behavior, every person wearing protection makes it easier for the next one. Offer a spare pair of earplugs to a friend.
Enjoy the Music Without Paying for It Later
Live music is one of life's great joys. Protecting your hearing is part of making sure you can keep enjoying it. And if no one else around you is wearing ear protection, consider being the first. You might make it easier for someone else to do the same.
Copyright: Shari Eberts. A version of this post also appears on LivingWithHearingLoss.com.