HEARING AIDS AND PLAAYING DRUMS MOVIE

Perhaps his hearing loss was too severe, but this dangerous omission could mislead the general public - some of whom may be experiencing hearing problems. Shockingly, hearing aids were not even mentioned as a possibility by the first audiologist Ruben visits. Most of us have some residual hearing (as Ruben did) which we augment with hearing aids. The beauty and elegance of sign language beats mini-mics and speech-to-text apps every time.īut for the vast majority of people with hearing issues - the Deaf experience is not representative. Much of the time, mainstream media makes this leap, perhaps because it is easier to portray visually on screen. In the interest of drama, Sound of Metal jumps right to the culturally Deaf experience which includes exclusive use of sign language for communication.

The experience is similar for me with my hearing aids, which amplify all sounds, not just the speech ones I want to hear. He seemed surprised.Ī great moment of the film is when Ruben walks into a large cocktail party with his new cochlear implants (CIs) and is visibly overwhelmed with the cacophony of overlapping conversations. “And sometimes, even with my hearing aids,” I continued. “This is what it sounds like without my hearing aids,” I said to my hearing husband who was watching the program with me. I know that someone is talking - I hear a sound - but I cannot understand its meaning.

HEARING AIDS AND PLAAYING DRUMS MOVIE

The movie captured the fuzzy, blurry, mumbly sound that I often experience. Normal sound is only used if Ruben has captions, for example, so that he would be understanding/hearing speech well. The soundtrack alternates between silence, muffled speech and regular sound, based on how well the main character, Ruben, is hearing in each scene. The movie does an excellent job portraying what it is like to hear poorly. Sound Profile Captures the Hearing Loss Experience… Given all the technological advances we have today, nothing could be farther from the truth. As did its primary message: The only way to cope with hearing loss is to learn sign language and join the Deaf community. While the rendering of how hearing loss actually sounds was excellent, the movie’s portrayal of audiologists missed the mark. I am usually disappointed and Sound of Metal, now available to watch on Amazon Prime, was no different. I search each moment for a slice of my own life that might help my family and friends get a better understanding of my daily experience living with hearing loss. That it will break down stigmas and generate empathy. I hope it will raise awareness about the challenges of hearing loss without inducing pity.

Whenever a mainstream movie or television show features hearing loss - I get excited.

Hearing aids and plaaying drums