Noise-cancelling headphones may be linked to rise in Gen Z neurological problems, experts fear

Telegraph

16-02-2025

Noise-cancelling headphones are fuelling a rise in neurological disorders among Gen Z, experts fear.
The explosion in use of the headphones, which block out external sounds, has led to an increase in hearing issues that are actually triggered by the brain, NHS audiologists have warned.
Leading experts said they are seeing more young people being referred to them for apparent hearing issues, but on inspection discovering their hearing is normal and that the problem is neurological: their brain is struggling to process what it hears.
This condition is called auditory processing disorder (APD). It is when the brain struggles to understand sounds or words, and in particular cannot differentiate them against background noise.
This makes it hard for sufferers to engage in conversation during social situations or clearly hear instructions at work or school. They might struggle with fast talkers or unfamiliar accents, and the condition has historically been linked to childhood brain injury, ear infection or a faulty gene.
But the growing prevalence of this phenomenon has led some experts to blame the surging popularity of noise-cancelling headphones with the brain unlearning how to differentiate – and then block out – background noise.
Hearing and listening
Renee Almeida, an adult audiology clinical lead at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, said she had seen an increase in young people being referred, and that it was important to hear a diversity of sounds so the brain can decide what is important to focus on.
'There is a difference between hearing and listening. We can see that listening skills are suffering,' she told the BBC.
APD is more common in neurodiverse people, or those who have suffered from a brain injury or had a middle-ear infection as a child.
But more patients without these prerequisites are presenting with the disorder and audiologists are wondering if other factors, such as noise-cancelling headphones, are behind it.
The headphones, which endeavour to block out external noise for users, can be useful for some people and in some situations they serve to protect them from loud noises.
But the level of acoustic seal can vary from product to product and the experts believe they may also be untraining the brain in how to naturally block out background noise.
Filtering out noises
Claire Benton, vice president of the British Academy of Audiology, suggested that by blocking out everyday sounds such as train noise or car beeps, the brain may 'forget' to filter the noises out.
'You have almost created this false environment by wearing those headphones of only listening to what you want to listen to. You are not having to work at it,' she told BBC.
'Those more complex, high-level listening skills in your brain only really finish developing towards your late teens. So, if you have only been wearing noise-cancelling headphones and been in this false world for your late teens then you are slightly delaying your ability to process speech and noise,' she said.
The Royal National ENT and Eastman Hospital is the only NHS provider in England offering a full APD assessment and the waiting list is nine months long.
Prof Doris-Eva Bamiou, who carries out the assessments there, said it was partially down to the time it takes to diagnose APD.
'It is a costly service because it is not just an audiogram, the test can take up to two hours and it requires additional assessments. In adults I also refer them for a cognitive assessment and in children I may also need to speak to an educational psychologist.'
Watching with subtitles
It comes as the way people listen to music and watch videos or television has changed since the pandemic.
More than three in five young adults aged 18 to 24 watch their favourite shows with subtitles on, according to one YouGov survey.
Dr Amjad Mahmood, the head of audiology at Great Ormond Street Hospital, told the BBC there had been a 'significant increase in demand' for assessments at the hospital's clinic for under-16s.
Treatment methods vary and often involve re-exposing the ears and brain to process words against a backdrop of noise. This can include app-based games, or microphones and low-gain hearing aids.
Sophie, a 25-year-old administration assistant from London, was diagnosed with the condition after being told she doesn't listen, zones out, or is 'a bit ditsy'.
'Even though I can hear that there are noises going on, I can't listen to where the noise is coming from. I know it's the person's voice, I just can't really compute it quick enough,' she told BBC.
She said all the words 'sound like gibberish' during lectures at university, which led to her watching them online with subtitles instead of attending in person.
Her audiologist, who believes it was caused by wearing noise-cancelling headphones for five hours per day, is among those calling for more research into whether the condition is linked to overuse of the headphones.