Why Earplugs Are Trending Among Millennials And Gen Z

How much sound is too much sound?

BuzzFeed Staff

If they are, is it actually worth splurging on expensive hearing protection, or can I just grab some cheap foam earplugs and call it a day? Foam earplugs usually come in a pack of 50 and are only about $10, whereas the concert earplugs cost $30–$40 for a single pair.

She told BuzzFeed, "Over time, we are all losing some hearing. We have no way to combat hearing loss due to aging. Noise exposure-induced hearing loss is the only kind of hearing loss that is preventable. It’s the only one we have control over. Even just one incident in a very loud scenario could cause permanent damage. One major side effect to noise exposure is tinnitus, which you can help combat by protecting your ears. The main causes for hearing loss include noise exposure, genetics, age, certain medications, infections, or illnesses such as meningitis.”

"For concerts, I would recommend earplugs specifically designed for music because they come with a filter. All the concert plugs have a filter so the sound is coming in, but the volume is adjusted across the frequency range, whereas with a foam plug (or any plug without a filter), you’re going to get a ton of bass-y and high frequency sounds. Foam earplugs aren't good for concerts when it comes to sound quality.”

"80 decibels = eight hours safely. Concerts tend to reach well over 100 decibels and go for a few hours, which you can technically only safely be in [without protection] for 10–15 minutes." It's good to know how many decibels put our ears in dangerous territory, but how can we even know how many decibels a sound is exuding in the first place? Dr. Taylor says, "I recommend to readers that they download a decibel meter app on their smartphones."

"Hearing loss is a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Genetics are out of our control, and some people are just more predisposed to it. I don’t have an exact an exact age..." Dr. Taylor explained, "But I would recommend that people around age 45 should see a licensed audiologist for a baseline hearing test to establish and make sure there is normal hearing and you haven’t accidentally caused any hearing loss. This is typically covered by insurance, too."