If you enjoy listening to your iPod or MP3 player on full volume then those days could be numbered if the European Commission has their way. They are calling for a maximum volume setting to be imposed for all music players in order to protect our hearing.
The concern comes after a report was published last year which warned that millions of people in the European Union could suffer permanent hearing loss as a result of listening to their MP3 players or their iPods with the volume turned up too high.
At the moment there is no standard default safety level on MP3 players and so users have to rely on their own common sense as to how loud they turn up the volume.
Some MP3 players can reportedly reach a height of 120 decibels which has been compared to the amount of noise a jet makes when taking off but would that stop kids from pumping up the volume?
Conservative MEP Martin Callanan who is on the European Parliament’s Environment Public Health and Food Safety Committee, said: “Kids have always listened to their music loud and this is not going to stop them.”
“You have to educate them to the risks but ultimately you have to allow personal responsibility and personal choice,” says Callanan.
That’s the thing here really isn’t it, personal choice. Personally I find it uncomfortable to turn the volume up too loudly but when there’s a buzz of background noise sometimes you have to. Tony Graziano a spokesman for Brussels based Digital Europe, seems to understand that.
“The solution must lie in a balance between safety and enjoyment of the product by the consumer,” he says.
“Eighty five decibels would not be appropriate because noise coming from traffic, engines and so on would obliterate the sound” said Graziano.
The EU wants the maximum settings on all MP3 players and iPods reduced to 85 decibels but the user could if they wished over-ride this setting up to a maximum of 100 decibels according to the BBC One’s Politics Show.
As from next month a two month consultation process will begin with all the relevant bodies after which there will be a final decision some time in the spring.
Ok so we know listening to loud music over an extended period of time can damage our hearing and I can understand that it might appear to make sense to impose a limit but I can’t help but think there goes another bit of our personal freedom.
