Turning down the racket isn't just for disgruntled parents — a new study has shown it could protect more than 1 billion people at risk for hearing loss.Related video above: Since COVID-19 pandemic began, audiologists seeing more people reporting hearing lossWhen it comes to phones, music, movies and shows, it's common for adolescents and young adults to listen too loud and too long, according to the study published Tuesday in the journal BMJ Global Health."We estimated that 0.67 to 1.35 billion individuals aged 12-34 years worldwide likely engage in unsafe listening practices," and are therefore at risk for hearing loss, said lead study author Lauren Dillard via email. Dillard is a consultant to the World Health Organization and a postdoctoral fellow at the Medical University of South Carolina.Exposure to sound at too high a volume can fatigue the sensory cells and structures in the ear, Dillard said. If that goes on for too long, they can become permanently damaged, resulting in hearing loss, tinnitus or both.Researchers conducted a meta-analysis of scientific articles regarding unsafe listening practices published between 2000 and 2021 across three databases, the study said.The unsafe practices were tracked according to use of headphones as well as attendance at entertainment venues, such as concerts, bars and clubs, according to the study.The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention limits safe noise levels at around 85 decibels over 40 hours a week. If you are listening for only 2½ hours over a day, that is the equivalent of about 92 decibels, the study said.Plugged into a smartphone downloaded with MP3 audio files, listeners often choose volumes as high as 105 decibels, and venues often range from 104 to 112 decibels, the study said.Fortunately, policies, businesses and individuals can put measures into place to encourage safe listening and protect hearing from damage over time, Dillard said.The analysis of the study was rigorous, and the evidence is compelling that hearing loss should be a public health priority, said De Wet Swanepoel, professor of audiology at the University of Pretoria in South Africa. Swanepoel was not affiliated with the study."Music is a gift to be enjoyed for a lifetime," said Swanepoel, who is also editor in chief of the International Journal of Audiology. "The message is to enjoy your music but safely."What to do with your deviceWhether listening on your own device or at a concert, Dillard cautioned that ringing ears is a good sign that the music was too loud.There are ways to prevent the damage before you notice the effects, however. Some devices allow people to monitor their listening levels in the device settings, she said. Some even will alert you when you've been listening too loud for too long."If your device says you are listening at unsafe levels, turn down the volume and listen to music for shorter periods of time," Dillard said via email.Experts cannot conclusively say which headphones are the safest for listening, Dillard said, but she did recommend using ones that reduce background noise, which may help keep the volume at lower levels since you don't need to drown out the noise around you.But you don't always have control of the volume dial. If you are at a loud concert or venue, you can protect your hearing by standing further away from speakers and taking breaks away from the noise, if possible, Dillard said.And it always helps to use some ear protection — even the foam ear plugs will do, she added."Hearing is the sense that connects us to the people we love," Swanepoel said in an email. "Taking care of our hearing is key to maintaining healthy relationship(s) and general health and well-being. Primary prevention in early adults is critical to avoid earlier onset and accelerated age-related hearing loss."

MOTHER, ALAN, AS THE CROWD CHEERED AND THEIR MOTHER LOOKED ON. GORDON BURRELL AND DENNIS PARKER TOOK THAT WALK ACROSS THE STAGE TO COLLECT THEIR DIPLOMAS FROM NEWTOWN HIGH SCHOOL. I FEEL GOOD. I’M GETTING OUT OF SCHOOL. I BROUGHT ME IN. SHE MADE SURE WE HEARD EVERY DIME THEY SHOW. HE WAS IN SCHOOL WITHOUT HER, IT WILL BE GRADUATION. THEIR MOTHER, CECELIA MCFADDEN, TOOK THEM IN AS FOSTER CHILDREN. PARKER WHEN HE WAS A WEEK OLD, AND BURRELL AT THE AGE OF TWO. A COUPLE OF YEARS LATER, SHE ADOPTED THEM. THEY CREDIT MCFADDEN WITH PUSHING THEM. YOU GOT HIM OUT. BUT EVERY DAY, I DON’T KNOW. SHE SHE ALWAYS TOLD YOU THE RIGHT THINGS TO DO. MCFADDEN HAS FOSTERED 15 CHILDREN ADOPTED THREE AND HAS TWO BIOLOGICAL CHILDREN. WHEN YOU GET THEM SO YOUNG, YOU GET ATTACHED TO THEM. YOU DON’T WANT TO TAKE THEM BACK. SO BURRELL FACED THE ADDED CHALLENGE OF HAVING SEVERE HEARING LOSS. HE WAS BULLIED AND CALLED NAMES AT SCHOOL. I HONESTLY, WITHOUT THE MOTHER OF ALL THE LIKE, JUST GOING INTO FOSTER CARE AND EVERY DAY I LIKE PROBABLY WOULD HAVE BEEN MESSED UP, PROBABLY WOULD HAVE BEEN IN THE STREET MAYBE SELLING DRUGS, A LOT OF OTHER STUFF. SHE’S THERE, YOU KNOW, SHE WAS ALL SHE WAS TO PROTECT THE CAREGIVER. SHE MADE SURE, YOU KNOW, NO MATTER WHAT, WE NEVER LOOK DOWN ON OURSELVES. WE’RE LOSING TOO MANY MALES IN THE STREET, TOO MANY. I SAID YOU ALREADY HAVE TWO THINGS GOING WRONG FOR YOU RIGHT NOW. YOU’RE BLACK AND YOU’RE MALE. I SAID, YOU NEED THAT EDUCATION. AND I SAID, IF YOU GET THAT EDUCATION, NO ONE CAN TAKE THAT AWAY FROM YOU. AS LONG AS YOU CAN READ AND WRITE AND COUNT, YOU’RE GOING TO BE OKAY. YOU CAN MAKE IT THE NEXT CHAPTER. BURRELL IS OFF TO STUDY MUSIC IN COLLEGE AND PARKER LEARNING A

2 adopted brothers graduate thanks to love from mother

Updated: 8:41 PM EDT Jun 6, 2023

Two teens who were born into difficult situations are making their mark on the world thanks to a generous mother.Brothers Dennis Parker and Gordon Burrell are graduating from New Town High School in Baltimore County, Maryland. Their mother, Cecelia McFadden, helped them get ready for the big day. She took them in as foster children — Parker when he was a week old and Burrell at the age of 2.A few years later, she adopted them both. They credit McFadden with pushing them, even when they acted out."You got on my butt every day. I don't know, she always told the right things to do," Parker said.Burrell faced the added challenge of having severe hearing loss. He was bullied and called names at school."She brought me in and made sure we had everything. Without her, there would be no graduation," Burrell said of his mom.McFadden has fostered 15 children, adopted three and has two biological children."You get them so young, you get attached to them, you don't want to take them back," said McFadden.Burrell said his life could have been very different without McFadden."My life probably would've been messed up. I probably would've been in the streets, selling drugs, a lot of other stuff. She's there. She was the protector, the caregiver," Burrell said."We are losing too many males in the streets," McFadden said. "I said, 'You already have two things going wrong for you right now: You're Black and you're male.' I said, 'You need that education.' I said, 'If you get that education, no one can take that away from you. As long as you can read and write and count, you're going to be OK, You can make it.'"Burrell is off to study music in college, while Parker plans to learn a trade.

Two teens who were born into difficult situations are making their mark on the world thanks to a generous mother.

Brothers Dennis Parker and Gordon Burrell are graduating from New Town High School in Baltimore County, Maryland.

Their mother, Cecelia McFadden, helped them get ready for the big day. She took them in as foster children — Parker when he was a week old and Burrell at the age of 2.

A few years later, she adopted them both. They credit McFadden with pushing them, even when they acted out.

"You got on my butt every day. I don't know, she always told the right things to do," Parker said.

Burrell faced the added challenge of having severe hearing loss. He was bullied and called names at school.

"She brought me in and made sure we had everything. Without her, there would be no graduation," Burrell said of his mom.

McFadden has fostered 15 children, adopted three and has two biological children.

"You get them so young, you get attached to them, you don't want to take them back," said McFadden.

Burrell said his life could have been very different without McFadden.

"My life probably would've been messed up. I probably would've been in the streets, selling drugs, a lot of other stuff. She's there. She was the protector, the caregiver," Burrell said.

"We are losing too many males in the streets," McFadden said. "I said, 'You already have two things going wrong for you right now: You're Black and you're male.' I said, 'You need that education.' I said, 'If you get that education, no one can take that away from you. As long as you can read and write and count, you're going to be OK, You can make it.'"

Burrell is off to study music in college, while Parker plans to learn a trade.