Varieties of Hearing Loss: A Lament for the Modern Ear

The louder the sound, the shorter the amount of time it takes for NIHL [noise-induced hearing loss] to happen," An example offered is that of "an MP3 player at maximum volume," which produces sound rated at 105 decibels. The idea that there should be some right to be protected from excessive volume seems obviously reasonable and appealing. Contemporary hearing loss is most obviously the result of quantity-decibel level-but it is carrying along with it three further varieties of loss: an insensitivity to sound quality; another condition that I will call social impairment; and finally, and most catastrophically (as Oliver Sacks perceived), a general lack of awareness of the total environment in which one is attempting to lead a meaningful life.