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The Guardian posts article on protecting Hearing Health ... and

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Edited

… as usual, the story here9 includes a photo from some dinosaur-age of the HEARING AID.

Guardian

Now, please let me know if I’m being insensitive to folks here, but WHO wears these kind of devices? Is this supposed to encourage anyone with a hearing issue (no matter the age!) to go out and buy something like this?

I proudly show off my sleek, sexy Phonak Lumity Life 312 aids. They area POWERHOUSES (just look at my audigram!) that deliver an exceptional level of confidence and quality of life to me. Why can’t others be exposed to THIS kind of technology instead of these ridiculous clunkers the color of bandaids?!?!

Yes, the article ticks off all the usual benefits for maintaining hearing health and being proactive about hearing issues. But I think the article would’ve served more people better if they’d included an entire section on TODAY’S powerful, , fully-functional aids! I bet that info would’ve prompted thousands of more folks of even younger age to go check 'em out.

I even google-imaged “hearing aids” and see many photos of this same kind of plasticky-icky looking aid attached to articles (virtually the SAME INFO!) on hearing health. Let’s get with the times! As an editor at these news publications, I’d want my writers to give the FULL story with the latest-greatest aids out there! To encourage folks to get the OPTIMUM aid that can actually look GREAT is far better than to show someone with a chunk of plastic jammed in the ear (how does that even deliver quality hearing with fit?!?!).

I’d seriously prefer a stylish, engraved silver ear trumpet to that garbage hangin’ off the ear in this article. Sorry for the rant, but we need to be our own advocates for “TRUTH IN PUBLISHING”.

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I’m guessing that even a progressive publication like the Guardian would want the image to be blindingly obvious what it is. Shiny cheap beige plastic in her ear? Yeah hearing aid. Lumity Slim look cool but Joe/Joanna Public might think they’re some kind of new fitness earbuds. Roll out the super cheap device they bought on Temu for pennies.

Oddly the Guardian laps up opportunities to feature leading deaf/Deaf actors as pioneers in breaking down barriers etc.

In reply to @GarethJW

Yeah, I totally agree with your observation. But COME ON! This is 2025! Has anyone seen that kind of “disability-profiling” hearing aid after 1955? I seriously have never ever seen any person wearing such a thingamajig in their ear in my 70 years.

I think The Guardian and all the others who think they’re doing hearing-help folks a favor are actually encouraging them to DENY - RUN FOR THE HILLS! No one would want to wear a poor-fitting PLUG in their ear and expect to not only fit in socially, but actually be able to hear a single thing but amplified NOISE in such a piece of crap.

I guess I’m just tired of being talked down to by some writer who thinks they know hearing help better than folks like me who walk the walk and talk the talk. These articles just continue the myth that hearing help is an ugly, fugly, isolating experience, and that the best we can hope for is some ill-fitting device that will work SO bad we’d be worse off.

What if someone actually approached an audiologist asking for this kind of ill-fitting device thinking that’s what they need? Complete mis-information and disservice to MANY who could be helped and live confident, enjoyable, socially-active lives.

In reply to @AttilaDaPun

LOL!!! Then they’ve WON. And yet what a missed opportunity to actually provide useful information on the devices out here today that are transformative to one’s life!

My life was transformatively improved from even the rechargeable Lumity Life aid to these 1-yr newer 312s of the same make! Maybe the chip set is better? But they actually do deliver better speech comprehension. And there’s even BETTER aids out there than my 312s. I just happen to be vain and prefer the gorgeous colors these come in. :grinning:

In reply to @1Bluejay

If I were feeling uncharitable I’d go so far as to say it’s a bit of a filler piece. Stock image. Bingo.

Wired magazine regularly reviews hearing devices and has thoughtful pieces of writing. This is how to do it.

AH!!! Will do! Thanks for that link. I’ll letcha know if I HEAR back (but I may need to have that ugly HEARING AID in my ear to actually HEAR back, lol).
:+1:t2:

In reply to @GarethJW

@GarethJW said:

Stock image. Bingo

Shame on them! To keep that negative halo GLOWING on what is a run-of-the-mill health issue shows a lack of quality or useful reporting.

It just galls me that NEGATIVE, fear-inducing reporting is preferred over POSITIVE, helpful and inspiring information sharing. I hope someone at The Guardian reads my 300-word plea for better, more helpful reporting.

Let’s not stoop to the lowest common denominator trying to make a point, eh? How about inspire confidence, hope and action?

In reply to @GarethJW

For the record, further drilling down at The Guardian (they don’t make things easy) provides a link here for editorial content complaints. So that’s where I’m sending my comment (again). I get up to 500 words here, hooray!

In reply to @1Bluejay

@1Bluejay said:

piece of crap.

I guess I’m just tired of being talked down to by some writer who thinks they know hearing help better than folks like me who walk the walk and talk the talk.

Absolutely right, Bluejay! I so agree and appreciate your noticing this. Hoping that prominent publications will get with the 21st century! :face_with_spiral_eyes:

In reply to @GarethJW

Would you belive that I got a personal email from the reader’s editor at The Guardian who made that photo swap happen?!

He said his dad wears SLEEK aids himself, having had a hearing loss since youth. The editor agreed that photo misrepresented our reality. WOW. That made my day - and thank you again for pointing me in the right direction! :grin:

PS pecked this happy news out with broken right shoulder… the result of winging off treadmill at gym yesterday. Ahhhhhhh… now I need arm sling to match zany pink and teal hearing aids!

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