*/5 * * * * osascript -e 'set volume output volume (output volume of (get volume settings))-1'
This prevents me from accidentally listening to something that is too loud for too long. At the level I usually listen to music, it takes about 2 hours to fade to nothing; it's a linear fade, so after 30 minutes the volume is at 75% my preferred starting volume. If I get lost in my work, the music gradually fades and I avoid realizing many hours later that I've been blasting my ears the whole time.
I wish all devices had a mode like this. I haven't investigated how to do this on Linux, but it should be possible there as well I think.
For linux there are a few solutions depending on the install:
*/5 * * * * pactl set-sink-volume @DEFAULT_SINK@ -2%
*/5 * * * * amixer -D pulse sset Master 2%-
For windows you can use powershell to trigger the Volume Down Button
$obj = new-object -com wscript.shell
$obj.SendKeys([char]174)
Change audio level from powershell - https://stackoverflow.com/a/21362870 Run a task every x-minutes - https://stackoverflow.com/a/4250516
Sometimes I'll try adjusting my volume down to half and notice everything still sounds fine. It's a sign that I was listening to something way too loud without even realizing it.
My theory is that audio engineers are mixing live venues after already having hearing loss, thus normalizing hearing damage for everyone else as well.
I strongly believe regulation is needed to combat these problems. Firstly, a venue should not be allowed to damage one’s hearing with loud speakers. I think it’d be reasonable to require nearly all of any auditory experience to be under 80db.
Secondly, city noise pollution is a huge health problem as well. Most of it comes from car tire noise or strangely loud engines (like Harleys), so preventing that should be a priority. Walk along the waterfront in any city, and the overwhelming audio source is the white noise of car tires on the uncovered freeways. It’s hard to imagine how wonderful these places could be if those sounds were much more muted.
I have no problem if you want to have fun with a loud thing, but do it out in the middle of nowhere! Like any kind of pollution, we have a right to live without others negatively affecting us. I think law has not really caught up in these areas of human rights.
It's understandable that a movie or song might WANT to get loud at a particular time, but squashing everything to max is not the way to go.
I switched to active noise cancelling headphones and earbuds several years ago (2015-ish) primarily because they enable me to keep volume at like 20% and still get the benefits of sound isolation. It's been a huge revolution for me personally.
Running for 2 hours used to give me an ear-ache. Now it's perfect. The improvement in comfort from music-at-the-office is even bigger. 8 hours was a lot and sound isolation is really important to me. I can't focus if I can hear other humans and eating noises make me wanna punch people.
With regular earbuds they were cranked up to 80% to block out the wind so I couldn’t hear any of the acute sounds I can hear with noise canceling and volume at 20%.
Funfact: I ride my motorcycle with actual earplugs. The wind noise at 80mph causes permanent damage after 15min. You hear more of the important stuff with earplugs because they block the wind.
After trying earplugs myself a few months ago, I decided it was too risky to sleep with them due to the pressure I felt in my ear (the one against the pillow) when I lay on my side.
I think its to one side of your concern, but related: we truly don't socialize the needed guarding of our eardrums. It's a vicious cycle: unexpected mechanical noises stop us sleeping, leads to weight gain, diabetes, heart problems, high BP which in turn feeds tinnitus, hearing loss...
I wake early for other reasons. Sunrise birdsong is lovely. But dump-truck and recycling truck noises are pretty clashy.