“Can you hear me now?” may be a popular catch phrase for a giant telecommunications corporation, but could it also represent the future of your child’s sense of hearing?

Lately, iPods have received a lot attention from healthcare professionals as a probable cause for hearing damage. The media has focused specifically on iPods as a potential cause for premature hearing loss, but really, this problem existed long before this modern device was created. Before the iPod we had portable CD players, and before that we had the Walkman. The fact is that any kind of device that requires kids to wear earphones could lead to hearing damage.

One of the best ways to maintain good hearing is to protect your ears. If you are in a place where there will be loud noises, you should be investing in some form of ear protection. Blasting loud music, as kids often do, can cause serious damage to the ears -especially when the music is played at high volume for long periods of time.

The best thing parents can do for their children is to educate them on the appropriate use of these kinds of personal listening devices. Children need to understand that loud noises can hurt their ears. The hardest part will be getting your kids to listen - especially with their loud music playing - but it’s definitely worth a shot.

How loud is too loud? Hearing specialists state that sounds registering above 85 decibels could potentially damage the ears. That’s about the noise level of typical traffic or a running vacuum. As a rule of thumb, in any situation where you have to raise your voice to be heard, you’re probably in a place where you should be wearing ear protection.

Here are some tips to help protect your children’s ears:

• If you can hear their music even with their headphones on, then their music is too loud. • If they cannot hear any significant background noises while listening, then their music is too loud. • Headphones should never be used to mask background noises. • If you want to reduce the amount of background noises you hear while listening, you can purchase specially designed headphones for just such a purpose. These headphones will allow you to listen to music more clearly at lower volume.

Just remember the age-old saying, “Everything in moderation”. Once children and teens are educated on how to listen to music effectively, they can continue to enjoy music into their old age.

Jason Mills is a hearing disabled individual who likes to make the most of his summers outdoors. When he is not out camping, he writes for hearingaids101.com – a wonderful online resource for information about hearing loss aids, digital hearing aids, http://www.hearingaids101.com/ear-plugs.aspx">ear plugs and more.