Music has been a form of expression for hundreds of years, classical music from the 1800’s to the current genres we explore today in 2022. Music is a lifeline for a lot of people, particularly teenagers. How many students do you see in the library or the local café with their headphones in? It’s estimated that roughly four million people in the UK suffer from at least one mental health condition. Things like anxiety and depression can feel oppressive and leave you feeling pushed down by everyday life, but music can help to relieve that pressure, pulling you to an almost entirely different world, leaving you immersed in lyricism and rhythm.

Seeing live music is an entirely different experience. Having seen many artists this year, such as Sam Ryder and Tom Odell, it leaves you feeling full, maybe even elated. My Father stated, “I’ve been anticipating this for months and its exceeded expectations!” There’s nothing like the feeling of beats bursting through your skin and reverberating through your bones; the feeling of your heart pumping and your head unconsciously nodding to the rhythm of the music. However, with the recent cost of living crisis, we have seen a massive inflation in prices as people are struggling to afford their groceries, let alone tickets to a concert. In desperate attempts to recreate this feeling, we raise the volume levels on our headphones or play the music full volume on our speakers. Whilst in the moment it feels amazing its putting millions of young people at risk of hearing loss later in life.

In Odell’s’ final song, he performed “Another Love”, a song that has reached billions of streams across all music platforms. The response was incredible, people screaming at the top of their lungs, shouting the lyrics repeatedly until their voices were hoarse, and their lungs felt deflated. This catharsis like response to the noise and the music filling the room creates those dangerously loud noises that put people like you and me at risk of developing hearing problems. So instead of bursting your ear drums, I suggest you save your tears – and hearing – on “Another Love” and next time reduce your headphone volume, before causing irreversible damage that may stop your from hearing your music on ANY headphone volume.