As iPod or MP3 use among children grows at an unprecedented rate - fueling concerns that many are using the technology unsafely - the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) is launching a new Web site (http://www.listentoyourbuds.org) aimed at empowering parents and protecting children from noise-induced hearing loss and other communication difficulties.

The association has injected an element of kid-friendliness into the campaign by creating a pair of cartoon-character mascots to convey the message.  The characters are the "Buds," so named because they take the form of stylized ear buds - the little earpieces through which young people and others listen to their mobile media. "Buds" also stands for buddies, and the association hopes children will relate to the two spokes-characters as friends.

So the campaign is called "Listen to Your Buds."

The explosion of mobile media and potential for misuse among young people, something ASHA has warned about for years, has led others to raise warning flags and call for more public education. The most recent in a series of studies by the Kaiser Family Foundation about media use among 8- to 18-year-olds found that in the past five years, ownership of iPods and other MP3 players rose markedly, from 18% to 76%. This statistic is particularly alarming, given that in 2009 leading authorities predicted a rise in hearing loss nationally because of unsafe use of personal audio devices.

It's not too late to curtail further hearing damage in younger children just starting to use personal audio technology and similar devices. Equipped with many new technical features, a new design, and improved navigation, http://www.listentoyourbuds.org offers visitors access to the latest information about safe use of these devices, hearing-loss prevention, and the negative consequences misuse and/or overuse can have on a child.

The site also allows users to participate by taking a personal “pledge” to protect their hearing by following three basic principles:

• Keep the volume down. A good guide is half-volume. If someone else can hear the music, it's too loud.
• Limit listening time. Give your hearing “quiet breaks.” Damage can occur after just four songs.
• Watch for warning signs of hearing loss.

The site features an up-to-date “Buds” concert calendar of events, designated sections for parents and educators, and access to other national organizations that help get the "Buds" safe-listening message to parents, educators and children. Bookmarking and social-media tags are also embedded throughout the site so that visitors can share “Listen to Your Buds” news and information with others on sites such as Facebook, Twitter, MySpace and Del.icio.us.

In the coming months, ASHA will be introducing new site features, including downloadable at-home educational resources for families and additional multimedia.