It wasn’t too long along that your tween was singing those very Beyonce lyrics with her iPod affixed to her ears. And guess what? It was probably dangerously loud! That’s why the American Academy of Audiology (AAA) is urging teens to “Turn it To the Left” in an awareness campaign about the dangers of hearing loss.

In fact, more than 5 million 6- to 19-year-olds have noise-induced hearing loss, often simply because they don’t keep their music’s volume to a minimum, they say. Here’s what you as a parent can do to help prevent this unnecessary health issue:

• Make sure they turn down the volume whenever they listen to music, especially while wearing headphones or riding in the car.
• Buy portable media or music players with “volume limiters” (they may come with the device or can be bought separately).
• Encourage your kids to give their ears a rest once in a while if they don headphones all the time.
• Have them wear ear protection (earplugs or earmuffs) when using machinery — like in metal or wood shop at school, or while mowing the lawn.
• Ask them to consider wearing earplugs at concerts, especially if they’re sitting anywhere near the stage or speakers. They’ll still be able to hear the music — it just won’t be as deafening. And they don’t need to worry about their image — most earplugs are so tiny that no one will even notice they’re there.
• Turn on toys to check out their volume. If you hold it up to your ears and it hurts, don’t buy it. If it’s already in your kids’ toy bin, take out the batteries and/or put tape over the speakers, says the U.S. PIRG, the federation of state Public Interest Research Groups (PIRGs).
• Emphasize the importance of moving away from any noise that’s uncomfortable.

You should speak to your pediatrician if you notice your child has difficulty hearing normal volumes, complains of ringing in the ears, or if you notice unusual speech development.

Who turns up the volume in your home — you, your kids, or your spouse?