Jocelyn Filiyaro, organizer of the "Can You hEar Me" campaign, shares the results of Community Problem Solving's study on hearing loss. In 1974 Community Problem Solving was created by Dr. E Paul Torrance as a way to help aid students in learning how to think, not what to think. My name is Jocelyn Filiyaro, I am a Junior at Apollo High School, and this is my 6th year in Community Problem Solving (CmPS). Over the years the program has really helped me grow not only as an individual, but also as a member of the community. I have gone to State of the City Address meetings, met with the mayor of St. Cloud, gone to the National Service Learning Conference, and even traveled to 4 different states and competed at an international level. My project this year is called “Can You hEAR Me?” The goal of the project is to advance the knowledge of the community, especially teenagers, about Noise Induced Hearing Loss (NIHL). Loud Noises have a major impact on our ears; one way bigger than we realize. So when we blare the music in our earbuds, it’s not doing you any good, just damaging your hearing.The following paragraph is my area of concern for my project which states why NIHL is a problem in our society and why we should take action. When was the last time you got your ears checked? How loud do you listen to your music? Do you use earbuds or headphones? Do you often miss out on important parts of conversations? These questions may seem irrelevant, but they are all questions that we desperately need to take into consideration. Hearing loss is the third most common health problem in the United States, especially due to new technology like earbuds and power tools. Twenty two million Americans are exposed to harsh noises everyday; leaving the youth of this generation at an increased risk of losing a higher percentage of their hearing at a younger age than normal. 1 in 5 teenagers in the United States suffer from some type of hearing loss. The youth of this generation have become so accustomed to loud noises such as attending concerts, using earbuds on high volume, or even blaring music in their car as they drive down the street, that they don’t take the time to sit and think about what is really happening inside their ears as they listen. There are two types of hearing loss, Conductive Hearing Loss and Sensorineural Hearing Loss. Conductive Hearing Loss (CHL) occurs when the eardrum is ruptured or there is damage to the bones in the middle part of the ear, whereas Sensorineural Hearing Loss (SHL) is when there is damage to the inner ear or the parts of the brain that controls our hearing. Noise Induced Hearing Loss (NIHL) falls under the umbrella of Sensorineural Hearing Loss because the damage may become permanent, and depending on the severity, may require surgery. 5.2 million teenagers, ages 12 to 19, are reported to have NIHL in the United States alone. Decibels are a unit of measurement used to determine the intensity and the power level of sounds. Sounds under 75 decibels are very unlikely to cause hearing problems even if it is for a prolonged period of time however, NIHL occurs from the short or long exposure to a sound that is over 85 decibels loud. According to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD), a normal conversation takes place at about 60 decibels, which is a safe level, but take an average MP3 player on full volume though earbuds, it reaches up to 105 decibels and firecrackers can reach as high as 150! I hope you take into consideration the effect noise has on your ears the next time you are listening to music with earbuds or are going to a loud concert. I have really enjoyed my experience in CmPS so far and look forwards to a great season this year. I would highly suggest others to get involved as well. Have a Great Day and thanks for reading!!! You can email us at [email protected]
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February 2018
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