The Apple revolution has brought with it the ear bud revolution. Young people everywhere can be seen with the signature white in-ear ear buds plugged into music players, often times listening to music in inappropriate places at inappropriate times, such as while crossing the street.

“I’ve seen people almost get run over because they aren’t paying attention and texting or using ear buds,” physics teacher David Tyndall said.

According to an article by The Washington Post, 47 accidents were caused by a pedestrian using headphones – in-ear or over-the-ear – crossing the street. The data was pulled from a study conducted by University of Maryland researchers.

Surprisingly enough, the majority of the headphone-related accident victims – 70 percent – were male, and over 60 percent of the victims were under the age of 30. 89 percent of the 55 reported accidents (in San Francisco) occurred in urban settings, which are known for their bustling activity.

Sophomore Madhav Kumar listens to his music loudly while walking and claims his ear buds “block out all the unnecessary noise” while walking and crossing streets.

“That’s what I have my eyes for, to look out,” Kumar said.

The report claims that headphones cause “inattentional blindness,” which is the result of one spreading his or her attention too thin and not allocating enough attention to necessary tasks. Not only does it cause “inattentional blindness,” but also “environmental isolation,” which means that headphones of any variety cause the wearer to disregard his or her environment.

The effects of headphones extend beyond car crashes and deaths; they also cause ear damage. According to LiveScience, in-ear headphones, including Apple ear buds, are more likely to cause damage than the over-the-ear, old-fashioned headphones.

“[I listen to headphones on] low volume because I value my hearing more than my music,” senior Leo Leksang said. “[Other teens] turn it sky high; you can hear it out of their ears.”

LiveScience also reports that teenage boys play their music louder than teen girls, and that most teens play their music louder than young adults.

Although scientific research emphasizes the negative effects of listening to music too loudly, junior Khalid Kamara has found a positive way to use loud music – as a way to focus before games.

“It helps me drown out all other thoughts than what I’m focusing on,” Kamara said.

“There’ve been lots of studies that show hearing loss could take place if you listen to music at a very high volume,” health teacher Gabe Romano said. “[Teenagers] don’t think about the consequences, just the music right now.”