The Hidden Peril of Noise-Cancelling Headphones
They offer a tech bro solution to the world of sound. They consider everything in their natural environment as “noise” that can be canceled out, allowing them to exclusively listen to their devices. Technology is generally seen as good for your ears by reducing the overall levels of noise you are exposed to. But while noise-canceling headphones are good for our hearing, it is a myth that technology is completely good for us.
Online forums are filled with people complaining about noise-canceling headphones. These forums largely share the same conspiracy theory: that active noise cancelation (ANC) is harmful because it exerts damaging pressure on the eardrum. However, that’s not entirely correct either. According to David McAlpine, academic director at Macquarie University’s Auditory Neuroscience Laboratory, there is a simpler explanation: not hearing your surroundings is unnatural.
McAlpine says that noise-canceling headphones reduce the volume that reaches your ears, which is good for your hearing. Using ANC likely means you don’t need to drown out background noise by listening to music at a high volume. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend listening to loud sounds can lead to hearing loss.
However, too much noise reduction could be problematic. McAlpine says that your brain overcompensates for the ANC by increasing its internal gain. This creates a “hidden hearing loss,” as operating at a higher sensitivity alters your neural pathways. McAlpine coined the term in an article, referring to the brain’s inability to process sound, rather than the ears’ inability to hear it.
“If you have a hearing loss, it’s like changing the encoding in your brain,” McAlpine said in an interview. “Even if you can switch what you’re listening to, you may not return to the brain state you had before. It’s not reversible.”
McAlpine describes what happens when people enter the anechoic chamber at his university, an environment virtually silent. He says people feel disoriented and describe pressure in their head and ears. The sensations are remarkably similar to when people use ANC. The common thread is that your body is not made to experience complete silence, so people react poorly without background noise. There is a disconnect between what you are experiencing and what you are hearing.
“Loud sound damages your hearing, so there are situations where noise-canceling headphones benefit you,” McAlpine said. “Noise (features of the soundscape) is crucial for navigation in an environment.”
A 2012 study co-authored by McAlpine on “Hidden Hearing Loss” asked 17 subjects to wear earplugs for a week. Eleven participants developed tinnitus, a common medical condition in which someone perceives a ringing or buzzing without an external source. The study suggests that audio deprivation can affect how your brain processes sound, even if your ears are not damaged. However, the condition disappeared after the subjects removed the earplugs, so you shouldn’t worry about noise-canceling headphones causing long-term tinnitus.
So, while ANC may be good for your ears, it could alter your brain’s auditory capacity. The truth is that every time you use ANC, you are hearing the world with a different sensitivity, what McAlpine calls an “altered state of gain.” Spending enough time in this state can make it difficult for your brain to “hear” at normal audio levels.
“I think we’ve let the big tech companies co-opt our listening habits, monetize them, and sell them back to us,” McAlpine said. “Their solution to the hearing problem is probably creating a listening problem.”
Origins of the Myth
There are a couple of myths surrounding noise-canceling headphones. The first is courtesy of big tech, claiming that noise-canceling headphones are their solution to a noisy world. As McAlpine says, they are solving one problem with another, a strategy all too familiar in technology.
The second myth is that ANC is somehow bad for your ears. Wirecutter’s tests found that Apple’s Airpods and other popular headphones may not be as effective as claimed, but still better than nothing.
ANC works by emitting a sound wave that is exactly opposite to the noise in the environment. The two waves, from the environment and the headphones, effectively cancel each other out, resulting in that artificial silence you love.
However, it is understandable to believe that if something hurts your ears, it is bad for them. And the myth has its roots in some truth. If you find ANC somehow painful, the technology could be altering your brain’s perception of its environment and triggering some kind of instinctive discomfort.
Why It’s Pervasive
Noise-canceling headphones have become quite common in our society because the modern world is becoming increasingly noisy. Cars, airplanes, construction, and electronics contribute to a much louder world than our ancestors had. Similarly, our hearing problems are worsening as our brains and ears struggle to keep up with the changing times.
The Dilemma of Noise-Canceling Headphones
The issue that noise-canceling headphones try to address is serious. Noise pollution has been linked to a higher rate of [insert specific issue], and is increasingly being recognized as a harmful pollutant, similar to air and light. Furthermore, other studies have found that noise-canceling headphones can help [insert specific benefit].
Protecting Your Ears vs. Altering Your Brain
So we’re left with a trade-off. Noise-canceling headphones can protect your ears, but continuous use can alter your brain’s ability to listen. Ideally, you should only use noise-canceling headphones when you are exposed to excessive noise. On trains and airplanes, or in a noisy city, they are probably a good idea. However, if you are in a quiet environment, you may be better off simply listening to the world around you.
