Noise-induced hearing loss has become a growing concern, especially with the influx of personal technology. Nowadays it seems like everyone has a smartphone that they can watch movies on, or listen to music or an audiobook on. Wh ile these devices can do a world of good, the negative pitfalls need to be recognized, especially when it comes to your children. Due to the influx of personal devices, it is estimated that 1.1 billion teenagers and young adults place themselves at higher risk for hearing damage (The World Health Organization).
Hearing loss from excessive noise exposure is cumulative, so the damage is not often recognized until later down the line. Following and continuing with unsafe listening practices will not lead you down a good road, so set your child on the path to healthy hearing by learning how to limit the volume level on your Android or IOS device.
NOTE: It is recommended to set the maximum volume level no higher than 60%. This applies across the board, no matter which device you are using.
Setting Volume Restrictions on a Smartphone
Android :
*Please note that these steps may vary depending on your version of Android.
Step 1: Go to your settings. You can do this in one of two ways. First, you can swipe down from the top of your screen and hit the gear icon, or you can find the settings in your list of applications.
Step 2: Once you are in the settings menu, select “Sounds,” and then “Volume.”
Step 3: You will see sliders for different functions. Here is where you can adjust the volume limit of media, ringtones, notifications, as well as the volume limit for the system.
IOS :
Step 1: Go to your settings application and open it.
Step 2: Scroll down to “Music.”
Step 3: Scroll down to “Volume Limit” and click on it.
Step 4: Set the volume limit to your desired level.
Frequently Asked Questions
Noise-induced hearing loss is hearing damage caused by exposure to loud sounds over time. It is a growing concern, especially among children and teenagers who frequently use personal devices like smartphones at high volumes. Since hearing loss accumulates gradually, the damage may go unnoticed until it's severe.
According to the World Health Organization, approximately 1.1 billion teenagers and young adults are at higher risk of hearing damage due to excessive noise exposure from personal devices like smartphones and music players.
It is recommended to set the maximum volume level on any device, including smartphones, no higher than 60% to reduce the risk of hearing damage, especially for children and young users.
On Android devices, you can set volume limits by going to Settings, selecting 'Sounds,' then 'Volume.' From there, you can adjust the media, ringtone, notification, and system volume sliders to limit the maximum volume level.
To set a volume limit on iOS, open the Settings app, scroll to 'Music,' select 'Volume Limit,' and then set the maximum volume to the desired safe level, ideally not exceeding 60%.
Managing volume levels is crucial because exposure to loud noise can cause cumulative hearing damage that worsens over time. Setting safer volume limits helps prevent early onset of hearing loss and promotes long-term hearing health, especially for children.