In the era of earbuds, parents need to protect their kids’ hearing

A general rule for teens: After 60 minutes of listening to music over headphones, it is best to take a break. —Photos: dpa

BERLIN: Birds chirping, sirens wailing, people whispering, traffic flowing: Every day our ears are exposed to innumerable sounds, loud and soft.

What's that sound? Where's it coming from? Does it signal danger? To be able to properly sort out the acoustic stimuli around us, our sense of hearing must fully develop, which typically takes until the age of 5 or 6.