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"America: Tuned in Today…But Tuned Out Tomorrow?" an ASHA-sponsored National Press Club event that featured audiology experts and national legislators, was held March 14, 2006 to discuss the implications of an ASHA-commissioned poll of usage habits of popular technology and the potential risk of hearing loss.
ASHA was praised for its leadership in bringing together a distinguished panel of speakers, for increasing understanding of the issues involved through its polling, and for its extensive public education efforts. Print and broadcast media worldwide covered the event and poll results, reaching tens of millions of viewers, listeners, and readers.
Panelists included Brenda Lonsbury-Martin, ASHA Chief Staff Officer for Science and Research; ASHA President Alex Johnson; Brian Fligor, Director of Diagnostic Audiology, Children's Hospital Boston; Anne Marie Tharpe, Associate Professor, Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University; and Dean Garstecki, Professor of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Northwestern University.
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ASHA President Alex Johnson welcomes reporters and expert panelists.
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Congressman Mike Ferguson (R-NJ), Vice Chair, House Health Subcommittee, shares his concerns about the impact of personal stereo systems on the nation's hearing health.
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Congressman Edward J. Markey (D-MA), Ranking Member, House Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet, pledged a bipartisan effort to protect the hearing of users of portable music players.
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Getting the word out on hearing loss prevention through media coverage in action.
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"Consumers need to be educated about the dangers of loud sounds because noise-induced hearing loss is preventable," advised auditory neuroscientist Brenda Lonsbury-Martin.
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"If only 5% of the people who use an MP3 player listen to loud music regularly, and only a tenth of those do this for years, still as many as 200,000 people could have a hearing loss from listening too loud for too long," warned Boston audiologist Brian J. Fligor.
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"Consumers...may soon demand that manufacturers make modifications to better ensure safety for their hearing," ASHA certified audiologist Dean Garstecki told the media.
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"Studies that we have conducted over the past 20 years remind us that children with even a minimal hearing loss are ten times more likely to suffer academic difficulties than their normal hearing peers," advised Anne Marie Tharpe, an ASHA certified audiologist.
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Media interest in the ASHA poll results and the ASHA-sponsored National Press Club event have been very strong.
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