In the long list of diversions kids have been warned about for years, the consequences of which, they’ve been told, could be blindness, hairy palms or permanently-crossed eyes, they’ve been skeptics. But here’s one that should have them all-ears.

Listening to that iPod or MP3 player too loud or too long can trigger deafness at a very tender age.

The mini-jukeboxes are so popular that 14 percent of Brits under 35 crank them up for 28 hours-per-week. Britain’s Health Czar says that “noise levels exceeding 105 decibels can damage hearing if endured for more than 15 minutes.”

Whoa. iPods can easily reach 112 decibels. That’s way past nasty.

Here’s an easy way to know your iPod’s burning more than earwax. Ask a nearby civilian if she can hear your music, then dial your device accordingly.

Another indicator: If your ears are ringing, they’re warning you to back off. Failure to dial it down will leave you like our ex-rock star sales manager, with permanent, non-stop ringing accompanied by deafness.

And if that’s not depressing enough, picture seventy, maybe eighty years ahead with nothing but rocking chair… front porch… no tunes.

Dude.