Re: Hearing Conservation Presentation Available

[Barry Blesser <bblesser@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi Pat,

While I enjoyed your presentation, it follows in the old tradition of "don't
do it because it is bad." This kind of message has not yet made a
significant difference in the behavior of most people in our culture. 

Some time ago, I took a fresh look at the issue of loud music and came to
the conclusion that there is a positive reward for this kind of destructive
behavior. In my view, by not addressing the motivation for excessive
loudness, real change is less likely. 

I wrote an article for eContact, which lists some of the rewards for this
kind of destructive behavior. A copy can be found at
http://www.blesser.net/downloads/eContact%20Loud%20Music.pdf.

Given the relatively high frequency of Tinnitus, anyone interested in sound
and audio should become educated on what is known about this disability.
There is also a review article from eContact that summarizes what is known.
It can be found at http://www.blesser.net/downloads/eContact%20Tinnitus.pdf

In my view, a full dialog is only possible when the trade-offs between
positive and negatives are carefully presented. 

The most important consequence of a hearing disability is not just that
music is degraded but that social cohesion is undermined. As a result, those
with a significant hearing loss experience an emotional and psychiatric
burden. A study by a doctor in the 1950s in England found that the most
frequent explanation for psychotic symptoms in the elderly population was
undiagnosed hear loss. A parallel study at Stanford University in the 1980s
showed that simulated hearing loss among the normal population produced
psychiatric symptoms in less than a day.

Regards,
Barry Blesser


-----Original Message-----
From: AUDITORY - Research in Auditory Perception
[mailto:AUDITORY@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Patrick Zurek
Sent: Wednesday, December 19, 2007 10:25 AM
To: AUDITORY@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Hearing Conservation Presentation Available

Sensimetrics Corporation is making available a computer-based 
presentation on hearing conservation entitled Preserving Your Hearing. 
This presentation, which is aimed at middle- and high-school students, 
uses simulations of hearing loss to demonstrate the risks of 
over-exposure to loud music. It was originally developed for display at 
the DiscovEARy Zone at the 2007 AAA meeting in Denver, which was an 
exhibit area established for visiting students. Preserving Your Hearing 
uses speech and rock music to briefly demonstrate the effects of mild, 
moderate, and severe hearing loss, tinnitus and hearing aids. To 
download the 3-minute presentation, go to www.sens.com and click the 
Preserving Your Hearing link.

Patrick M. Zurek
President

Sensimetrics Corporation
48 Grove St.
Somerville, MA 02144
Tel: 617-625-0600 x237
Fax: 617-625-6612
email: pat@xxxxxxxx
web: www.sens.com