During the recent routine hearing test at school, your friend Sam found out that he is losing some of his hearing because he plays music very loudly while wearing earbuds. After learning this, Sam jokingly said that he was "going deaf." Why is this not the most accurate description of what is going on with his hearing?

Question

(1 point)
Responses

Deafness is something that an individual cannot decide for themselves, but must be diagnosed by a doctor; Sam has not visited a doctor yet

Deafness is something that an individual cannot decide for themselves, but must be diagnosed by a doctor; Sam has not visited a doctor yet

Deafness refers to any unexplained mild-to-moderate hearing loss, and Sam's hearing loss has been attributed to listening to music too loudly

Deafness refers to any unexplained mild-to-moderate hearing loss, and Sam's hearing loss has been attributed to listening to music too loudly

Deafness refers to people who have very little or no functional hearing and who often use sign language to communicate; Sam can hear enough to communicate and can produce speech without any difficulty

Deafness refers to people who have very little or no functional hearing and who often use sign language to communicate; Sam can hear enough to communicate and can produce speech without any difficulty

Deafness refers to complete and total hearing loss and Sam is still able to hear quite well

Answer 1

The most accurate description of what is going on with Sam's hearing is:

Deafness refers to people who have very little or no functional hearing and who often use sign language to communicate; Sam can hear enough to communicate and can produce speech without any difficulty.

This response clarifies that while Sam is experiencing some hearing loss, it does not equate to being deaf, as he still retains sufficient hearing capacity to engage in communication.