You’re not just getting old. Today’s toys are too damn loud. This isn’t simply an annoyance that drives many parents to either break out the hammer, or drink—prolonged exposure to high decibel levels can be dangerous for kids, and may even cause long-term hearing loss.
All toys are required to meet the American Society of Testing and Materials’ “acoustic standard,” which states that the sound-pressure level of a toy must not exceed 85 decibels at a distance of 50 centimeters. Go above 85 decibels and you’re enteringa danger zone. (A vacuumis about 80 decibels.) The thing is, kids getmuchcloser than 50 centimeters to their toys. Arm’s length is about 25 centimeters (or 10 inches), and any parent who’s watched their kid fall in love with a plastic Spider-Man knows they will often cuddle it, sleep with it, and maybe even lick the thing once in a while.
The Sight & Hearing Association has been making this point for years and puts out an annualNoisy Toy List, which I appreciate a lot. It includes toys that are louder than 85 decibels at testing distances that make more real-world sense—zero inches and 10 inches. Browsing through the latest list from 2017, I noticed several popular toys that my kidoooohsat every time she sees them on store shelves. You may have seen them, too. Here are the top 10 offenders:
Beat Bugs: Molded Sing Along Karaoke (Hijinx Alive)
0 inches: 96.7 dB
10 inches: 89.4 dB
Disney Elena of Avalor: Magical Scepter of Light with Sounds (Jakks HK, Ltd.)
0 inches: 96.3 dB
10 inches: 85.6 dB
Disney Pixar Cars: Talking Cruz Ramirez (Mattel)
0 inches: 93.9 dB
10 inches: 88.3 dB
Despicable Me 3: Dave with Banana (Thinkway Toys)
0 inches:93.8 dB
10 inches: 79.2 dB
Chomp & Count Dino (VTech)
0 inches: 93.8 dB
10 inches: 88.1 dB
Power Rangers Megazord (Saban Brands, LLC)
0 inches: 92.4 dB
10 inches: 88.3 dB
Nickolodeon PawPatrol: Pups to the Rescue (Spin Master, Ltd.)
0 inches: 91.2 dB
10 inches: 79.6 dB
Drill & Learn Toolbox (VTech)
0英寸:91.0 dB
10 inches: 79.6 dB
Bright Beats Dance & Move Beat BowWow (Fisher-Price)
0 inches: 90.8 dB
10 inches: 83.1 dB
Marvel Spider-Man Homecoming: Super Sense Spider-Man (Hasbro)
0 inches: 90.6 dB
10 inches: 87.3 dB
See thefull list here.
听到罗ss develops over time, so don’t panic if your kid has played with one of these toys before. But do know how important it is to protect young ears. If you think a toy is too loud, you can test it with a sound level meter app like良好的仪表or, as the Sight & Hearing Associationpoints out, you can just trust your own ears. If it’s too loud for you, it’s too loud for your kid. Get rid of the toy, or if you really don’t want to part with it, muffle the sound by putting water-proof tape or super glue over the speaker. Or, you know, just take the batteries out.