If you find yourself complaining that your children or grandchildren play their rock music too loud — or you’re on the opposite end of such a protest — it’s probably because perceived noise levels of rock music vary from one generation to the another.
In a study comparin g how young adults and people in their 50s judge noise levels of rock music, Professor of Hearing and Speech Sciences Donald Fucci found that the older study participants rated rock music much higher on a loudness scale than younger people.
The difference could be both physical and emotional. As many people age, they develop a common hearing loss condition, called presbycusis, in which hearing gradually deteriorates and certain sounds become distorted. In addition, Fucci has found that if people dislik e a certain type of music, they’re naturally going to perceive it as being uncomfortably loud.
