In the article “Against Headphones,” written by Virginia Heffernan, the author claims that the less use of headphones would be better for people’s health. By stating that humanity loses their hearing, Heffernan thinks that people can save their hearing if they use headphones only with the proper purpose, such as the periodically playing audiobooks, music, movie, videos, radio audibly, and television. Also, Heffernan concludes the invention of headphones is a positive event in human development. However, the frequent use of headphones harms human health. Thus, this article review example focuses on the work “Against Headphones” by Virginia Heffernan to analyze author’s arguments and provide well-organized and meaningful responses to the main points.
Example of Article Review
According to Heffernan, “The number of teenagers with hearing loss — from slight to severe — has jumped 33 percent since 1994” (par. 1).
Headphones cannot be the main cause of the hearing loss. By considering this article review example, the modern world itself is very loud. For example, when a person goes on the street, he or she hears the sound of the car, construction, and others. All of these aspects have the same sound effect on the ear’s membrane sensitivity. In addition, every city has activities and events that are supported by the orchestra and soundtrack. These speakers give a very powerful sound, which also affects the human ears. Thus, the author is not right that the headphones are the cause of the hearing loss in children because the modern world is also very loud.
Furthermore, trains and other types of similar transports emit the strong sound when rolling on the rails because it is the metal-on-metal contact. From all of these thoughts, it can be concluded that, if a person grows in such a kind environment, then his or her hearing deteriorates anyway. It is simply a consequence of the negative result of the development of human society, covering this example of article review. If something in the human body ceases to be important because of more favorable conditions of life, then, over time, this unnecessary element also atrophies.
Review Example and Refutation
According to Heffernan, “Headphone users who listen to music at high volumes for more than an hour a day risk permanent hearing loss after five years” (par. 2).
Basically, this statement cannot be true. All people have their own bodies. Of course, scientists like to talk with words of statistics. However, the author does not consider the fact that each person is a unique creature in mental and physical terms. For example, each human has the individual structure of the head, while scientists make the average shape. In this article review example, it is not the right approach.
Additionally, the author says that, after five years, people lose their hearing, and it is absurd. In the world, many problems may lead to the extinction of the human species, but people still live. The fact is that the human body has mechanisms that adapt the health to external factors. For example, if a person hears a very strong noise around him or her, the organism reduces the sensitivity of the membrane because it is the protective system that does want to save the nervous system. On the other hand, the organism can enhance membrane thickness and reduce its sensitivity. Consequently, the membrane will be stronger than its previous version. In this example of article review, that argument is that the human body adapts to noisy environments. Therefore, people do not lose their hearing after five years. They will adapt to such kind of conditions of this life.
Example Critic on Article Review
According to Heffernan, “The shared experience of listening with others is not unlike the cultural rituals of communal eating. Music may not have the primal necessity of food, but it is something people commonly ingest together” (par. 9).
The author’s words are meaningless in the case of this article review example. Nowadays, smartphones are an integral part of human life. Besides, most of the people have personal pages on Facebook, Instagram, and other similar services. Consequently, all of these things are already part of the culture of the developed society. Words that listening to music is not a cultural ritual is absurd. For example, if one person heard the song that he or she likes, then this individual will share it with friends with the purpose of the approval of this song. It is already a culture because the majority do these actions.
Moreover, listening to songs is already the intimate part of the human life. By considering this example of article review, the author does not understand that people can judge a person just by looking at the playlist of the individual. Therefore, music unites and brings people together. Furthermore, music brings happiness to people. For example, at a concert, people do not look at social status, race, cultural, or gender differences. People are all equal, and they are united because they hear the same music that everyone likes. People share all this happiness with each other and become even happier because they locate in the place where there are the same persons like them.
Analysis Review
According to Heffernan, “Headphones work best for people who need or want to hear one sound story and no other; who don’t want to have to choose which sounds to listen to and which to ignore; and who don’t want their sounds overheard” (par. 10).
The words of the author are not presented in the quite correct form. In other words, the author explains when and why people need to use headphones. However, the argument is that every person has the right to choose what he or she must do or not, covering this article review example. Further on, manufacturers, sellers, and users of headphones will not agree with the words of the author. The author’s words persuade people that, in fact, the headphones do not need them in their daily lives, but only for a specific activity.
However, if every person on the planet rejects the use of headphones in everyday life, people will become deaf during the year. For example, five million people live in the city. Then, three million people have headsets for sure. These three million persons walk on the street and listen to music without headphones. As a result, the city receives the chaos of sounds. Manufacturers and sellers will lose their jobs. The city will obtain the negative effects of such kind of event. In addition, people cannot enjoy music and will annoy everyone else. It would be terrible if someone will be in such a kind of city within a framework of this example of article review. Therefore, everyone should do what he or she sees right and not interfere with enjoying life to others.
Summing Up on Article Review Example
In this article review example, I do not believe in Heffernan’s words. She is sure that all things must be in such conditions as she thinks. Of course, Heffernan refers to scientific studies and wants to make the world better. However, the author does not consider human uniqueness as the Earth’s element in the food chain. In addition, humans always face problems, solve it, adopt their own organism, and hence survive. Thus, headphones do not cause hearing loss as the main source of this problem. In this example of article review, the more compelling reason is the development of human living conditions. Basically, it is a loud noise in the industrial world. Also, people should learn how to write a summary for an article.
Work Cited
Heffernan, Virginia. “Against Headphones.” The New York Times, 7 Jan. 2011, https://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/09/magazine/09FOB-medium-t.html?%20_r=1.