Kids and Hearing Loss

When I was a little kid in Sunday School, we would sing that familiar “Be Careful” song and eventually get to a verse that began like this: “Be careful little ears what you hear.” Well, my ears certainly aren’t as little as they used to be, both figuratively and literally. And as I’ve grown older I’ve learned that we shouldn’t only be careful about the content we hear, but the actual volume of what we hear. You see, I have ringing in both of my ears. Audiologists are warning parents to watch the volume on their kids devices, as hearing loss and other issues are hitting kids at younger and younger ages. I recently read this advice from a teenager named Savannah: “If you think it’s too loud, it probably is! You may not be worried about hearing loss, but teenagers are vulnerable to noise-induced hearing loss. The best way to prevent it? Turn it down, move away or use hearing protection.” As part of our daily act of worship, we need to steward and protect our bodies, including our hearing.