Protect Your Ears
Nursing students Nayeli Titley and Joseph Cochran informed students on hearing loss among students. When asking about the music volume at which students are listening, she responded, “A lot of students have their music at a very unsafe volume; loud music is what students are comfortable with to avoid outside noises.” There are symptoms that students can develop in the future such as tinnitus, the ringing or buzzing of an individual’s ears. Tinnitus may be a short–term effect but can cause long–term hearing–loss.
Listening to loud music causes health risks over time. People exposed to loud music are young adults and students, which will eventually lead them to health problems in their future.
Decibels is a unit that measures the intensity of sound with a given logarithmic scale, allowing students to recognize how loud their music is daily. “Keeping the decibels below 90 is a safe zone to hear music, noise cancelling headphones are safer rather than earbuds, where students can enjoy music at a safe noise level,” Nayeli Titley said. Titley plans to graduate in 2024 and be a Registered Nurse in the future.
Nursing student Joseph Cochran plans to help people in the operating room once he graduates from a university and receives his degree. When conducting a research experiment of how loud Valencia students are listening to music, Cochran concluded, “People are listening to music way too loud, especially at full volume.”
It is dangerous for one’s well–being to listen to music at full blast due to hearing loss that can lead to a difficult future, preventing them from comprehending what people are saying or having the need to have things repeated. Many older people have hearing loss due to loud volumes or sounds that they were exposed to over time. When asking ways to prevent hearing loss, Cochran said, “Individuals can distinguish how loud their music is by accessing their settings on their phone and adding the decibels hearing option.” It is inevitable that hearing loss can cause a long–term issue in a student’s life, therefore it is important to prevent loud sounds and volume before it becomes extreme.
Cyberbullying Stinks!
Nursing students Riley Lang and Hazel Medina informed students on the effects of cyberbullying and ways it can be prevented. Lang plans on graduating from Valencia College in 2025 to further her education as a Registered Nurse in childcare. Medina also plans to graduate in 2024, and aims to further her education to receive her RN license focusing on adults or geriatric care. When asking the students on the importance of cyberbullying and why students should be informed, both say that there are short–term effects that a victim can experience such as lack of sleep and emotional anguish. There are also long–term effects such as social phobia, social anxiety, and depression; creating a difficult lifestyle for students or other individuals.”
Cyberbullying is a repetitive action through social media or internet sites. It is defined by the intention of one’s actions rather than the act of doing it. If a person is aiming at hurting a certain individual, it is considered bullying.
“Students are on the internet 24-7, sometimes we do not even realize that we are victims of cyberbullying, or the ones partaking in the bullying,” explains Hazel Medina.
It is important for students and individuals to recognize the signs, the bystanders’ rule is to “See Something, Say Something.” There are resources to assist victims who are being cyberbullied. Valencia College offers counseling services to students, Baycare offers three free sessions to college students from licensed medical professionals.
“Building resilience and having good coping strategies can get rid of negative thoughts, aggression, or any mental anguish a student can experience,” recommends Hazel Medina and Riley Lang. It takes one person to bring a change to an individual’s life; showing kindness, being friendly, and assisting victims who need it the most. That one person can bring a positive change to a person’s life, allowing others to want to create a generational development for a better tomorrow.
