A connection between listening–and hearing

How many of us grew up sitting in our bedrooms with a set of headphones plugged into a stereo playing 8-track tapes and records cranked to the highest levels accepted by our listening devices? Like a lot of people, I don't need  a hearing aid, but I wonder how many of us have suffered a measure of hearing loss due to our youthful indiscretions? Of course, today the headphones are pretty much history along with the 8-tracks and the vinyl albums. In their place, ipods with tiny ear buds we stick in our ears to hear those melodious sounds from our favorite bands from the 70s and 80s. 

And so the news is interesting that we learned on today's Cranium Kruncher at 12:20 when we gave away lunch for two from Chick Fil A. The question was this: This item, popular with baby boomers, is outselling ipods..what is the item? The answer-- HEARING AIDS.And I couldn't help but wonder if there was a connection between  listening to music as teens, and the increase in hearing aid sales. Hopefully the ipod generation will learn a thing or two from the 8-track generation--listening to music is good. Listening to music at deafening levels is NOT good...bad listening means bad hearing.