Headphones and Kids' Hearing: How Loud Is Too Loud?
Your child has headphones on in the car, at the kitchen table, and on the bus, and some days you can hear the video from across the room. So how loud is too loud, and is any of this hurting their ears?
Loud sound can damage hearing for good, and kids are not exempt. Headphones themselves are not the problem, though. Volume and time are, and you can check both.
What Loud Sound Does to Kids' Ears
Noise-Induced Hearing Loss in Children
The inner ear is lined with tiny hair cells that pick up sound. Sound that is too loud for too long damages them, and they do not grow back. That kind of hearing loss is permanent.
It also tends to build slowly, so nobody notices until some hearing is already gone. It is preventable, which is why this is worth ten minutes of your attention.
Why the Risk Is Different for Kids
Children have smaller ear canals than adults, which makes high-pitched sounds more intense. The American Academy of Pediatrics also points out that the concern is how long and how often a child listens, not only how loud.
The Numbers in Plain Terms
Why You See 70, 75, and 85 Decibels
Sound is measured in decibels. A normal conversation is around 60. A phone at full volume through headphones can top 100. In between, you will run into three different "safe" numbers:
85 decibels. A workplace standard written for adults, averaged over an eight-hour day. The American Academy of Pediatrics says it should not be assumed safe for children.
75 decibels. The World Health Organization's limit for children's listening devices, for no more than 40 hours a week.
70 decibels. The level above which, according to the AAP, long stretches of noise may start to damage hearing.
The louder the sound, the less time it takes to do harm. Some headphones sold as kid-safe still reach 85 decibels or higher.
Safe Headphone Volume for Kids
You do not need a decibel meter. Hearing specialists generally recommend:
Volume at about half
A break at least once an hour, even for a few minutes
Less total listening time, especially on days when school devices are part of it too
How to Check Without an App
Three Quick Tests
The arm's length test. Stand an arm's length away and talk in a normal voice. If your child cannot hear you, it is too loud.
The leak test. If you can hear what they are listening to while the headphones are on their head, turn it down or check the fit.
The volume bar. Glance at the screen. Past the halfway mark is your cue.
Volume-Limiting Headphones and Device Settings
Volume-limiting headphones help, but they are not a guarantee. Independent testing has found models that play louder than the limit on the box. Treat them as one layer of protection, not the whole plan.
Two other things that help:
Set a maximum volume in the phone or tablet settings, so the cap travels with the device
Consider noise-canceling headphones for the car or bus. Kids turn the volume up to drown out background noise, and blocking that noise takes away the reason.
Loud Places Count Too
Headphone time adds to everything else your child hears in a day. Concerts, races, fireworks, and big sporting events can be louder than any headphone. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends protective earmuffs for kids at events like these, babies included.
Their rule of thumb works anywhere: if you have to raise your voice to talk to someone an arm's length away, it is too loud for your child.
Signs of Hearing Damage to Watch For
What You Might Notice
Ringing or buzzing in the ears
Saying "what?" more often, or turning the TV up
Trouble following conversation in a noisy room
None of these proves a hearing problem. Kids tune parents out for plenty of reasons. Our guide to the signs of hearing loss in children by age has a fuller list.
When a Pediatric Hearing Evaluation Makes Sense
If those signs keep showing up, your child mentions ringing in their ears, or they did not pass a screening at school, a full hearing evaluation will give you a clear answer. Here is what happens at a pediatric hearing test, and what comes next after a failed school hearing screening.
Hearing is also how children pick up speech. If you have questions about how your child is talking, see our guide to speech and language milestones by age.
How Loud Is Too Loud? The Rules Worth Remembering
If You Have Questions About Your Child's Hearing
Headphones are part of childhood now, and they do not have to cost your child any hearing. Half volume, regular breaks, and the arm's length test cover most of it.
If something still seems off, the audiologists at Midwest Children's Therapy provide hearing evaluations for children from birth to 18 in East Peoria. Call us at (309) 282-6704 or send us a message.
