Ipods are bad for you

[QuickSilverD]

Your iPod Makes You A Bad Driver

Are Mp3 players putting you and everyone around you in danger when you're behind the wheel? The Canadian Automobile Association says so, and they're calling on every provincial government in Canada to adopt strict rules that would make it against the law for younger drivers to use Mp3 players, cellphones and other portable devices while behind the wheel.

​

CAA President David Flewelling says "Restricting the use of electronic devices, such as cell phones, MP3 players and wireless hand-held devices, [allows drivers to] truly focus on the driving task."

"It is also our hope that a preventative measure like this one will create a generation of motorists who recognize the severe implications of driver distractions."

Are Mp3 players headed down the same road as cell phones in some places? Rendered illegal to use where they offer the most use to thier owners.

No conclusive evidence has shown that iPods are dangerous for young, old or any driver for that matter. However, according to a study released in April 2006 by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the many forms of distractions are collectively responsible for as many as eight out of every ten crashes.

"Driver distraction is the greatest unreported traffic safety issue in Canada," said Flewelling. Widely circulated news stories of iPod accidents could help give movements like this more traction, and eventually make iPods off-limits for drivers and possibly cyclists as well

Source: http://digitalmusic.weblogsinc.com/2006/06/14/your-ipod-makes-you-a-bad-driver/

Teens' MP3 Habits May Up Hearing Loss

Adults Listen Longer, but Teens Turn the Volume Up Higher
By Miranda Hitti
WebMD Medical News
Reviewed By Louise Chang, MD
on Thursday, March 16, 2006
March 16, 2006 -- New surveys show double trouble for high school students when it comes to hearing loss.
First, high school students were more likely than adults to report any of these possible signs of hearing loss:

• Needing to turn up the volume on their TV or radio: 28% of students and 26% of adults
• Saying "what" or "huh" during normal conversation: 29% of students and 21% of adults
• Having tinnitus (ringing in the ears): 17% of students and 12% of adults

Second, high school students were much more likely than adults to admit playing their iPods and other MP3 players at loud volumes. More than half (59%) of students reported playing their MP3 players loudly, compared with 34% of adults.
The survey was done by Zogby International for the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA).

On the Road to Hearing Loss?
The surveys, done by telephone, included 1,000 adults and 301 high school students nationwide.


The findings don't prove that MP3 players are responsible for students' hearing problems. The data don't specify whether students with hearing problems were those who cranked up the volume on their MP3 players, and the students' hearing wasn't checked during the surveys.
Adults typically played electronic devices at lower volumes. But they logged more time listening to their MP3s, possibly while commuting, states an ASHA news release.


"Louder and longer is definitely not the way to use these products," says Brenda Lonsbury-Martin, PhD, in the news release. She is ASHA's chief staff officer for science and research.

Turn It Down?
Nearly 70% of students said they were "likely" to turn down the volume while using earphones to listen to electronic devices.
However, 58% said they weren't likely to cut down on the time they spent listening to such devices with earphones on. Also, most students (64%) doubted that they would buy specially designed earphones to help prevent hearing loss.


Adults replied a bit differently. Half said they were likely to turn down the volume, but only 28% said they were likely to cut back on listening time or wear special earphones to avoid hearing loss.

Loud, Noisy World
Rep. Edward Markey (D-Mass.) asked the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) to review research on portable music players and hearing loss.


"Young people live in a loud and noisy world," NIDCD Director James Battey Jr., MD, PhD, responded in a letter to Markey. "In this age of the escalating use of personal stereo systems, hands-free cell phones, and portable movie/game systems, youth worldwide are exposed to harmful levels of noise every day.


"Scientists generally agree that, over time, this can lead to permanent noise-induced hearing loss by damaging and/or destroying the inner ear's sensory cells," the letter continues.


Experts' Advice


MP3 players are relatively new, so more research is needed. Meanwhile, the NIDCD's letter offers some advice for users of personal music devices.
"If you cannot hear people speaking near you while listening to your music, then the volume on your device is too high," the letter states. "In addition, consumers should limit the amount of time they listen to their devices."
Lastly, the letter notes that "researchers had suggested that users set the volume of their music player no higher than 60% of the maximum, and use it for no more than one hour a day."

So what do you all think?

 

[Sony Hacker]

thats cough*bullshit*cough

 

[Spidey]

thats cough*bullshit*cough

wow..leave your mature comments for the playground...

but i have heard this also...its mainly the earbuds because they are shoved so far into the ear that even at a medium setting could do damage to the ear drum

 

[QuickSilverD]

Is all true, but nothing that one couldn't have figure out by yourself, still you may want to moderate the use of thos little gizmos a little

 

[Exiled Angel]

everything is bad for you in my opinion if you look hard enougth your find something that will harm you in probably everything, too much of anything is bad. Though you did forget one thing people who use ipods and walk are more likly to forget the highway code and walk out in front of cars, so they are trying to ban ipods while you are walking. I wonder when is the time to use them. The car thing i'm more with because well there are enougth destractions and it does not take much for someone who is driving to not pay enougth attection to road, because well it is pretty boring.

 

[Kasu]

well i have my ipod on a very low volume, i don't think i'll go deaf anytime soon

 

[Amizon]

Yeah, for those driving that is. Not for those in the passenger seat, however!

 

[Davey Gaga]

responsible for as many as eight out of every ten crashes

Oh, for goodness sake! They've only been around for so long - they can't POSSIBLY use this figure to represent reliable statistics - it's an absolute crock of faeces.

Sure, they may cause distractions, but so do cellphones (or Mobile Phones, as we Brits call them ). Mobile's have been banned while driving here in Britain - oh, but don't even get me -STARTED- on smoking! Anyone remember the person who was charged for *gasp!* eating an apple while driving? She was charged for removing one hand from the wheel without a "legitamate" reason. Yet smokers can puff away down the Motorway.

[/Vent of Rage.]

As for the statement about "hearing loss" - I don't turn my music/TV/iPod up to full volume because I HAVE to, I do it because it blanks out any other noise and I can focus on nothing but the music; it's good, sometimes, to forget about everything else, close your eyes and whip your head around to some Kaiser Chiefs I'm more concerned about people who share earphones with each other - think of what you could be passing on .

 

[Holic]

Doesn't USA also have a law preventing using headphones while driving?

Anyways, I totally agree with Riku on everything he said. Smoking, cell phones, eating, drinking....whatever. But you can't wear headphones. It's ridiculous.
I remember watching a video a bit ago on youtube I think that showed an intersection in China or India or something with no traffic lights. There were bikes, cars, and pedestrians and no accidents (from what I saw) and I was amazed. I told my dad about it and he said, "yea, we could do that too if it wasn't for all our distractions," and he was totally right.

Once again, the rush nature of this society makes us more dangerous and more stupid.

 

[Scrutator]

For fucks sake, both of those reports state the bloody obvious. Only idiots would disagree that they never knew both things to be a bad habit.

Only thing I consider to be a real bad thing is the damage they do to your bank balance.

 

[SapphireStar]

For fucks sake, both of those reports state the bloody obvious. Only idiots would disagree that they never knew both things to be a bad habit.

Indeed. If some people are considered about their hearing, turn the thing down. As for messing about with the thing whilst driving, dont! Simple.