Trendy earplugs for young clubbers
As many as 90 percent of young people experience temporary symptoms of reduced hearing or tinnitus after an evening out. Yet, one in three young Britons aged between 16 and 30 years say they would never consider using earplugs in a night club or at a concert, and only three percent use earplugs on a regular basis. Young Britons are reluctant to wear earplugs because they find them unappealing or 'looking too medical'.
The data on earplug attitudes are from a survey conducted by RNID. The survey results caused RNID to challenge British design students to design more appealing earplugs for young people. Almost 100 young designers joined the competition.
Credit card sized winner
The winning design, the Ear Card, is an earplug system in a credit card sized flat package It was designed by Chi Shing Lo, a Product Design student at De Montfort University at Leicester, England.
RNID is hoping that the fashionable new earplug concept will change the tarnished earplug image and change attitudes and habits among young people in favour of protecting their hearing when they party, go clubbing or attend concerts.
Sources: RNID;
www.dontlosethemusic.com.
Published on hear-it on December 11, 2008.
