Community Corner

YouTube Hearing Test Scares Headphone Generation with Impending Deafness

Test your hearing with this fun new video.

[Want the real test? Click here to see a list of ear doctors near Palo Alto.]

This morning I awoke to the following text message from a friend (who is 26):

"I'm deaf! This test says I have the ears of a 40 year old! Take the test. You better be deaf too!"

So I got on my computer, plugged in my headphones and took the test. I'm not going deaf. Well, not too quickly. 

The test (see above) was put together by AsapScience and uploaded to YouTube on Aug. 13. In the video, different frequencies play, each one associated with an average age.

I dropped off the map somewhere between 17,000 and 18,000 Hz, both of which you are only supposed to hear if you're under 24. I'm 25...so, these ears are slightly above average.

Hearing loss is often associated with damage to hair cells, which everyone has in their ears. According to Gizmodo, "the hair cells closest to your ear canal are the ones responsible for detecting higher frequencies, and they're usually the first to go."

The AsapScience test shouldn't be considered definitive. Let your doctor decide what your true hearing capacity is. But it certainly gives a good general idea, and young YouTube commenters of the blast-bass-in-your-headphones-generation are already in a frenzy over the results.

"I'm 13 and I can't hear 19,000 hertz. Should I be scared?" said user Goopstir.

"17 here, and I could only hear up until under 40 (15,000 Hz). My hearing must be terrible," said Alice Knight.

Make sure when you take the test that you set the audio to 1080p (HD), or else your headphones, speakers, etc. probably can't process the super high frequencies. To set the audio at 1080p, click the "YouTube" button on the bottom right corner of the video above. Then, in the new window, click the gear button in the bottom right and select 1080p. 

What does the test say about your hearing? Tell us in the comments!


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