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A note of advice
Dear Editor,
Years ago, in Rose Hall Town, there was an old man whom everyone used to call “Uncle Byra.” I thought it was just his call name. Later I learned that Uncle Byra was hard of hearing and ‘byra’ is Hindi for ‘deaf’.
I fear that many of our minibus drivers and conductors, as well as many others, who listen to loud music and noise, are becoming young Uncle and Auntie Byras.
These minibus operators seem to be suffering from varying degrees of permanent hearing impairment, brought about no doubt by the trauma they have inflicted on their own auditory mechanism by years of listening to high-decibel music.
Even when there is no music playing at all, minibus operators do not hear passengers’ request to stop or sometimes stop at the wrong point, prompting the inconvenienced passengers to remark, “Like you deaf or what?”
This may be why some of them have to play the music so loud: they have lost so much of their hearing that they cannot hear at a normal level; they have to crank up the decibels.
It may also explain why many of them have to shout when speaking: hearing impaired people tend to talk the loudest.
Places of entertainment and places of worship that subject their audiences and congregations to heavy music, while providing joy to their listeners, may also be causing permanent hearing loss to them. I do know that the Good Book says, “Make a joyful noise unto the Lord” and “Let everything that hath breath praise the Lord.”
But this was written in the days when electronically amplified music and ear-splitting PA systems were unknown. The unaided human voice and unaided musical instruments were the order of that day.
Loud music and noise is not just a mere nuisance without any harmful effects; it does have severe negative impact of the mental and physical health of people.
Other than the temporary hearing loss and permanent deafness that loud noise can cause, other effects include headaches, lowered concentration, and increase in stress by promoting high blood pressure and other cardiovascular problems.
But the most debilitating effect is permanent hearing loss, which can have social implications when people have to shout to be heard or cannot hear when spoken to, especially over the telephone.
Uncle Byra of Rose Hall died several years ago. But young Uncle Byras are fast replacing him. He that still hath an ear to hear, let him hear. Turn the volume down.
M. Xiu Quan-Balgobind-Hackett
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