A parents' guide to safe listening

Children are more likely to protect their hearing when they understand why. Keep it short and concrete:

• Inside the ear are tiny hair cells that turn sound into signals. Very loud or very long listening wears them out, and they don't grow back.
• It is not about music being bad. It is about how loud and for how long: the same song is fine at a lower volume.
• Ears give warning signs: ringing, buzzing or a muffled feeling after listening means they need a rest.
• A simple check: if someone next to you can clearly hear your music, it's probably too loud.

Explain the app before you install it: it's about ears, not spying. Then look at the “Who sees me” screen together, so your child knows exactly who can see what.

A popular rule of thumb says: no more than about 60% volume, for no more than about 60 minutes at a time, then a break. It is easy to remember and a good start for younger children.

The WHO's Make Listening Safe advice boils down to a few habits: keep the volume down, limit the time spent with loud sound, take listening breaks, use well-fitting earbuds (noise-cancelling ones help in noisy places, because you don't need to turn them up) and pay attention to warning signs.

In the app every member has a profile. These are starting points that you can change at any time. The weekly dose for everyone under 18 is measured against the WHO budget for children and sensitive listeners (75 dB for 40 hours a week); for adults, 80 dB for 40 hours a week.

You can add time rules on top: night hours, and a school mode that lowers the limit during lessons. For a hard ceiling that works in every app, also set iOS “Reduce Loud Audio” (Settings → Sounds & Haptics → Headphone Safety) and protect it with Screen Time.

• Start small. One goal for one moment of the day, such as the homework hour or the trip to school, works better than a rule for everything.
• Make it winnable. A goal that succeeds four days out of five builds more motivation than one that fails every day.
• Use the stars. Each successful round earns stars, and stars unlock accessories for the bunny, including seasonal ones.
• Choose rewards together. A child can wish for a reward; you decide whether to link it to a goal. A movie night or an extra half hour of play often matters more than money.
• Cheer. A quick cheer from you appears on your child's screen and watch. Praise the effort, not only the result.

Teenagers need room to make their own choices, and a monitoring app can feel like distrust. A few things help:

• Let them propose their own limits. In the app, a teen can suggest a rule; you approve or talk it over.
• Look at the weekly report together instead of checking in secret. There is no hidden mode anyway.
• Agree on what you will and won't react to. A loud concert once in a while is normal; event mode exists for that.
• Loosen rules as trust grows, and say so out loud.
• Remember what the app never shows: what they listen to, their messages or their location outside an earbud event.

Our children's privacy notice is written so you can read it together.

The app builds awareness and habits; it can't tell you anything about the health of your child's ears. Talk to your doctor, or ask for a referral to an audiologist or ear, nose and throat specialist, if your child:

• has ringing, buzzing or muffled hearing that doesn't go away within a day, or keeps coming back;
• often asks people to repeat themselves or turns the TV up much louder than others;
• has ear pain, discharge or a feeling of pressure;
• suddenly hears much less in one ear. Seek medical advice the same day.

The hearing game in the app is for fun and practice. It is not a hearing test and can't replace one.