The holy trinity of peace and persona in high schools: JBL, Sony, and a fan favorite, Beats by Dre. It seems as if everyone owns a pair of headphones; they’re sacred all across the United States, and they seem to be necessary for students to function.
The Seahawks Eye believes that headphones are a necessity, and we’ve come to the conclusion that they aid the learning experience, despite those who hate on them.
The potential dangers of noise cancelling headphones have been put up for debate in light of a recent condition sprouting up in the United Kingdom called auditory processing disorder(APD).
According to BBC News, a woman in the UK started having trouble hearing, and after undergoing a variety of tests, doctors decided that her prognosis was APD. The doctors believed that the APD could be attributed to her daily use of noise-cancelling headphones.
APD is a neurological condition that alters the part of the brain that understands words and processes sounds. Rather than affecting the hearing of victims, it attacks their brain, putting their auditory skills in danger.
After this diagnosis, some research showed that an increasing number of people have been getting hearing problems, and they all have one thing in common: their excessive use of noise-cancelling headphones.
This is raising concerns for the neurological safety of students all over the world who have been relying on their headphones as a means of life.
However, this condition just shows how using in excess can lead to one’s downfall. The girl who was originally diagnosed wore her headphones for over five hours a day, which is an unreasonable amount that would cause anyone health problems.
So, using this situation in the UK and comparing it to high schools where kids simply wear their headphones for a couple of hours a day is unrealistic.
Students in the US find it beneficial to wear their headphones in passing periods, while “locking in” on homework, or even quiet time during class.
Doing homework in class is difficult to do when there are whispered conversations and outside noises, it becomes almost impossible to focus. Therefore, being able to tune out all distractions and get started on work is a right that should not be denied.
At Cape Coral High School, walking around the halls during class change, everyone is wearing headphones. Half the time, there isn’t even music playing in their ears.
Even simply having the option to sink into one’s world and isolate oneself from the chaotic society surrounding them serves as an oasis that students welcome with open arms.
Sometimes, headphones are used too much and can be detrimental to one’s social development. Nonetheless, for some children, music is their only companion.
Music is a completely different world that can evoke emotions to make the listener experience a range of emotions. Turning it up and ignoring everyone else is a solution to the demands of high school.
So, we at the Seahawks Eye strongly believe that headphones should not be discouraged, only limited, as their benefits far outweigh their potential dangers.
