First, there is the issue of direct damage to the eardrums.

Teenagers and younger children often have the volume cranked up way to high. The short-term experience may be enjoyable for them, but the long-term damage to their hearing can be significant.

According to the Scientific Committee on Emerging and Newly Identified Health Risks, "Regularly listening to personal music players at high-volume settings when young often has no immediate effect on hearing but is likely to result in hearing loss later in life."

If your child has a portable music player and uses earbud headphones, you might want to check out iHearSafe earbuds, as they automatically limit the volume to a maximum of 80 dB.

Second, there is the issue of indirect danger when listening to loud music with headphones in potentially dangerous environments.

We have all see people exercising outside while wearing headphones - jogging, cycling, skating, skiing and so on.

The problem here is that when people are jogging on the street and their hearing is impaired by listening to loud music, they are less likely to be aware of cars approaching from behind, cyclists or even other people calling out a warning.

On the ski slopes, boarders and skiers become similarly isolated from the environment around them and may remain unaware of approaching danger until it is too late.

Most people underestimate the degree to which their hearing protects them from potential dangers within their immediate environment. And the problem goes beyond the fact that tightly fitting headphones prevent you from hearing ambient sounds. One can also become so immersed in the music that one becomes more profoundly isolated and distracted from what’s happening around you.

This is why there is talk of banning the use of headphones when driving a vehicle. The reason is not only that you can’t hear what’s going on around you, but also that your mind is distracted from what you should be doing.

If you do wear headphones while taking part in sports or driving a vehicle, be sure not to wear any kind of sound-isolating headphones. These include headphones that wrap around your entire ear and those which are inserted into your ear.

In some states, counties and cities the wearing of headphones while cycling or skating is already against the law. People try to get around these laws in a few different ways, including wearing just one earpiece, or wearing a large pair of audio headphones around their necks, but not over their ears, and cranking the volume up. A better solution is to try headphones that don’t even touch your ears, like Audio Bone Headphones.

If you don't have any laws banning the use of headphones while exercising outside, you are still better off and much safer wearing a more loosely fitting set of headphones like the Koss KSC75 Clip-On Sport Headphones.

I have a set of these myself and am happy both with the sound quality, the snug fit and the fact that I can still hear ambient noises around me.