The background beat to a walk on the treadmill might be as hazardous as the exercise is beneficial.
The iPod and its complementary white earphones are now featured in a U.S. District Court lawsuit, John Kiel Patterson v. Apple Computer, Inc., recently filed in California.
The suit's complaint argues that the iPod, which is "not sufficiently adorned with adequate warnings," can produce sounds loud enough to cause permanent hearing damage.
Nathan Shapiro, third-year College student and iPod owner, said he learned about these potential hearing loss issues in a psychology course about perception that he took last semester.
The issues are relevant to college students because "our generation is the first to have a portable device they can listen to wherever they go," said Shapiro, referring in part to the iPod's rechargeable battery.
Recognizing the legitimacy of the concerns, Shapiro said Patterson "should distribute information instead of suing."
While the problems may sound alarming, not all students are concerned.
Third-year Engineering student Matt Gabriel, who does not own an iPod, said the issues do not faze him because he does not intend to purchase an iPod.
"I think it's unnecessary in general to have a bajillion songs," Gabriel said.
While the lawsuit does not concern Gabriel, some students who do own iPods are relatively ambivalent.
Second-year Engineering student Justin Ferrante said he does think about hearing loss, "but it's less related to my iPod and more about my car stereo."
Fourth-year Engineering student John Arseneau, who lost his iPod, said he would only worry if he found out that hearing could be damaged even at low volumes.
Otherwise, Arseneau said, "It's general knowledge that with any speaker, if you listen to something too loud all the time, it can damage your hearing."
The type of speaker one listens to might also matter.
"I think it's dependent upon what headphones you use," Shapiro said. Shapiro explained that he does not worry much about the volume level because his noise-canceling headphones help eliminate background noise that can get in the way.
He noted, however, that the earphones that iPods come with do not merit a lawsuit specifically against Apple.
"There are plenty of other devices that include ear buds," he said.
Regardless of the lawsuit's necessity, second-year College student Paras Sharma said if the court could prove the iPods were dangerous, he probably would not buy one.
Sharma said he would first want to know whether the dangerous volume levels are within the control of the user.
"If it's beyond the control of a person, it's a good idea for the federal government to provide regulations," Sharma said.
On the other hand, "People should use their own freedom and common sense to protect their own welfare and stay away from things that can cause harm," Sharma said. "You shouldn't eat too much and you shouldn't listen to music too loud."
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