Next Time You Listen To Music, Remember The "60/60" Rule

"If you wear headphones all day, every day, this one's for you. There's a good chance you're overdoing it with the volume and potentially hurting your hearing. To spare your senses, it could be as easy as following the "60/60 rule" that's circulating on TikTok. Instead of wearing your headphones at work, on the subway, at the gym, and while you sleep, the 60/60 rule is all about giving your ears a break."

"That's because certain habits, like listening to loud music, can damage the tiny "hair cells" within the ear that transmit physical sound waves to electrical signals that go to the brain. "With loud sounds, like music, the hair cells are damaged," Porter tells Bustle. "Think of ocean waves hitting grass along the beach. Sometimes the damage is temporary, and the hair cells recover, but the more often they are exposed to the loud noise, the less and less they recover.""

"Even though you may love loud music, your ears really don't. Symptoms of early hearing loss vary from person to person, but often include not being able to hear in noisy spaces (like bars or restaurants) and asking people to repeat themselves regularly, Porter says. If you've damaged your hearing, you might also notice ringing in your ears or a sensation that your ears are blocked."

Listening to music at high volumes can damage delicate inner-ear hair cells that convert sound waves into electrical signals for the brain. Repeated exposure to loud sounds can reduce the hair cells' ability to recover, causing permanent hearing loss over time. Early symptoms include difficulty hearing in noisy environments, frequent requests for repetition, ringing in the ears, or a feeling of fullness. The 60/60 rule recommends playing audio at 60% maximum volume for no more than 60 minutes before giving ears a break. Limiting duration and volume reduces cumulative noise exposure and helps preserve hearing function.

Read at Bustle