Studies suggest that tinnitus or other hearing disorders already affect 18 percent of young people. A health mega-problem is emerging here, with all its negative consequences both for those affected and their quality of life, and for society as a whole, which finances the healthcare system.

A prevention campaign by young people for young people without a moralizing finger!

Tinnitus, once it has become chronic, or severe hearing loss cannot be cured; the only way to prevent it from developing is through prevention. That’s why, back in 2012, the Foundation developed the prevention campaign “I hear something you don’t: Tinnitus. Protect your ears”: Supported by 70 dedicated volunteers, it carried out active educational work directly in the risk situation until 2018: at major music festivals as well as at cultural and sporting events.

Our observation is: very many of the young people reached there (a total of 64,000 in the 2012 – 2018 festival seasons) were often not at all or insufficiently informed about the connection between hearing ability and noise exposure. Therefore, the German Foundation Tinnitus and Hearing Charité sees an urgent need to address this particular health risk for children and adolescents as early as possible and has been focusing its prevention work on the development of educational programs for daycare centers and schools since 2019.