A recent study published in the journal Pediatrics reported the results from a sophisticated web-based survey that looked at ways to prevent mp3-related hearing losses in teenagers. Participants included experts in fields such as scientific research, medical practice, community health, education, youth work, music entertainment, and enforcement.

The Delphi study involved three rounds of surveys, the first to evaluate prevention strategies to prevent hearing loss and the second two to allow the participants to reach a consensus concerning which of the strategies were feasible and would have the most impact.

Teenagers, and indirectly their parents, bear the responsibility for the safe use of personal music players such as iPods. However, the experts who participated in this study did not believe that teenagers as a group would follow practices recommended to prevent hearing loss. Consensus was reached on two proposals:

1. Regulatory authorities such as government should create guidelines for manufacturers of personal music players that would result in products that are safe to operate.
2. Public health campaigns that increase understanding of the risks of listening to loud music and suggest preventative measures that may be adopted were also thought to be an effective and feasible strategy.

Given that the Hearing Alliance of America has recently reported that 15% of college graduates have hearing loss that is equal to or greater than their parents’, mainly as a result of listening to loud music, immediate action from regulatory authorities and departments of public health is required to prevent significant hearing loss across a generation of youth.