Your Children Might Not Be Listening to You Because They're Actually Hard of Hearing

Parents have been telling their children to turn down their music for years in an effort to protect their hearing. As it turns out, they might have been on to something. What many rebellious youngsters thought to be intolerance was actually paternal intuition: sounds over 85 decibels can cause permanent hearing loss.

According to philly.com, some "audiologists have expressed concerns that repeated misuse of personal tech at loud volumes could damage children's hearing." These concerns have been present and voiced for quite some time by ASHA particularly, who began "sounding the alarm 10 years ago about noise-induced hearing loss...[caused by] headphones at too-loud volumes..."

Hearing loss at any age can be a traumatic ordeal, requiring life changes for both the afflicted and their family. There are many early warning signs of hearing problems to look for in your child including:

• Pulling or scratching at his or her ears;
• Socially isolated/unhappy in school;
• Lack of attention and response to sounds;
• Difficulty in reading and math studies

Consider putting a volume control on the television and other devices, as well as investing in earplugs for high-volume events. Very loud noises can be detrimental to a child's hearing and precautions should be taken whenever possible.

Overexposure to technology such as tablets and smartphones can also attribute to other defects and developmental issues in children as well, according to ASHA experts. Social communication can become inherently difficult as a screen substitutes human interaction. Children and parents alike should be aware of the potential adverse effects of prolonged device usage.

That isn't to say that technology isn't beneficial. The associate director of school services from ASHA notes the fine line of technology use:

"Technology can open the door to many educational opportunities if parents are sharing the experience with their children and guiding them along the way. Parents also need to model tech habits for their children such as taking breaks and leaving the phone in a separate room to avoid jumping at every notification."

However, with the ubiquity of personal devices in everyday life, it can be hard to limit that usage by younger teens and children. Many adults are as reliant on their cellphones and tablets as their kids, and regulating how much time is spent on devices can become difficult. It's important to notice what is too much use and how to remove the technology from the situation.