Based on events that occur thousands of times per second, the sounds you hear - or don’t - make many and memorable impressions on our daily lives.
Hearing is the most important sense, it’s just that simple. Our ability to hear connects us to the world we live in, to our surroundings, to the people we meet, and to the information we need to live happy and productive lives. The pitter-patter of little feet padding along a carpeted hallway to your bedroom in the dead of night. The warning screech of incoming traffic as cars careen around sharp corners, so you can ensure you’re safely away from the road, in the nick of time. The joyous laugh that comes part in parcel with someone else listening to - and approving of - a tidbit you have shared.
The sounds we hear, both actively and passively provide our days with substance and sustenance. When we hear, we are able to communicate in a way that cannot be achieved through any of our other senses. Let’s explore how and why.
Hearing connects us to information
Our sense of hearing is always on duty, even when we’re not paying attention, are focusing on something else with any of our other senses, or are taking a rest. A highly-involved collaboration between our ears and our brains, our sense of hearing transmits and translates sounds of all kinds from our surroundings, so we can learn of and understand what is going on around us.
Our ears can detect vibrations 1/10th the size of a hydrogen atom as they move within the air, providing us with valuable information when it is most relevant to us. These sounds can teach us about our world, such as the crow of a rooster in the early morning. They can also serve as an alarm, like when a cyclist rings their bell before speeding past you on the sidewalk, or when a child pulls the tablecloth out from under a heavily-laden dinner service. This information is critical, not only for your education but also for the preservation of your physical and mental wellbeing.
Hearing connects us socially
Our ability to bond and communicate with others largely depends on our ability to hear and understand the messages they convey through speech and body language. Why the latter is not hinged on our sense of hearing, the former most certainly is.
The average person hears roughly 70,000 words per day. Invitations, instructions, jokes, secrets, words of appreciation, warnings, and more. Tons of social content and context exchanged between people on the most efficient level. Just as we desire to share our lives and experiences with others, so too do others feel comfortable and compelled to share their worlds with us, beyond the scope of gestures and expressions. Hearing is a significant means for enjoying this social sharing, and feeling a part of mainstream society.
What happens when hearing loss occurs?
Imagine traveling to a foreign country, where nobody speaks or even understands your native language. Imagine asking for directions, or trying to order from a local menu. Imagine the frustration you’d likely feel when you realize your words are hitting a brick wall and are not going to get you the answers you so desperately need.
When your sense of hearing is impaired, misunderstandings are par for the course. You may not be getting your hands on the information you need, and communications you engage in may leave you feeling lost in translation. More often than not, the frustration experienced by the speaker and the listener can lead to both parties avoiding social interactions and exchanges, leading them to miss out on meaningful conversations and relationships.
Tunefork is on a mission to help you protect this most important sense.
Protecting your hearing is akin to preserving your quality of life in mainstream settings - on personal and societal levels. That being said, at Tunefork, we know that hearing is, and always will be an individual experience. Each of us has a unique hearing “earprint,” which is why Tunefork’s audio personalization technology creates a personal audio “earprint” to ensure the ultimate hearing experience over smart mobile devices while minimizing damage to your ears and hearing, common with prolonged exposure to noise.
Protect your most important sense, with Tunefork. Click here to download the Tunefork app right now!