Are smartphones creating a deaf generation?
The smartphone as we understand it today is a creation only ten years in the making, but over that decade it rapidly reached a critical saturation point. For many consumers, a phone is their primary media consumption tool, and these pocket computers can supply uninterrupted entertainment all day, with little need for a break.
At the same time, we are starting to see some disturbing emerging trends in health and etiquette. One trend to watch, increasing numbers of teens and young adults experiencing significant hearing loss.
I had the pleasure of sitting down with Dr. Alison Grimes, director of Audiology and Newborn Hearing at UCLA, to discuss some of the misconceptions surrounding hearing loss, the current state of research as to what might be causing this damage, and to ask for her best practices in protecting your hearing.
