Why millennials are Generation Deaf
HOLLAND, Mich. -- "Turn that down before you go deaf" is a common phrase parents use on their kids, and according to experts those parents are right.
Dr. Joe Vandermeer, a physician from Lakeshore Health Partners, says kids who listen to loud music are experiencing hearing loss more than ever before.
The World Health Organization is warning that more than 1 million young people are at risk for hearing loss from personal audio devices, concerts, even mowing the lawn. That's why some are calling the millennials Generation Deaf.
We see it all of the time: teens and adults walking along wearing headphones or earbuds, tuning out the real world. Sometimes, the music that is drowning out the sounds of everyday life can be literally deafening.
According to Dr. Vandermeer, our ears are like microphones plugged into our brain, and when our music is too loud, those microphones can break.
"It comes down to how loud your things are and how loud you're listening to them," Dr. Vandermeer said.
Hearing loss among teens today is much higher than years before, experts say.