Explain why using earphones for a long time is not advisable.

We all know that the intensity of sound is inversely proportional to the square of the distance between the source and receiver of the sound

Prolonged use of headphones/earbuds at high volume produces very loud levels of sound very close to the eardrum. As a effect of this the cochlear hair cells gradually lose their sensitivity resulting in noise-induced hearing loss.

Few major side effects of using earphones can be listed as,

1. ear infection

2. ear pain

3. dizziness

4. hearing loss

5. loss in focus

Even listening to the sound at moderate volume can damage the hearing overtime. Hence we can say that the duration of the exposure matters equally as much as the volume. 

Hence, we can conclude that,

using earphones at high volume or using earphones at low volume but for a longer duration has almost equal effect on the hearing ability.