Hearing Aids Were a Pioneer in Electronics Miniaturization

We are living at the historical peak of electronics miniaturization, and the future portends even smaller devices that are suited to evermore portable and invisible functions. How did we get to a world where microchips can hold as much information as they can? Only a few decades ago, it would have been unimaginable that a person would be able to hold a computer in the palm of their hand, but today most people carry a pocket-sized computer everywhere they go in the form of a smartphone. 

In the long development of small technological devices, hearing assistance has played a large part. One important driving force of electronics miniaturization has been the social stigma on hearing loss. This unfortunate social reality has driven the desire to hide assistive devices, such as hearing aids. The smaller they are, the more easily a person can mask their use of the device. This social principle has led to the development of not only a wide range of tiny hearing devices but also to other technological domains. We can even speculate if the miniature electronics in a smartphone were made possible by the historical desire to have invisible hearing assistance. 

The History of Hearing Assistance

Long before electronics came into the picture, people have been using devices to assist hearing. One of the most common devices in centuries past was the hearing trumpet. This simple device has a tiny opening placed on the threshold of the outer ear and a wide opening to the world. When it is curved forward, this device can be used to amplify the voice of a person standing directly in front of a person and to transmit that sound directly to the eardrum. Although this device had some functionality, it was quite conspicuous, and many people found it embarrassing to use. 

For this reason, deaf, hearing impaired, and hard-of-hearing people and their allies have taken part in a long process of devising hearing aids that are less visible to others. Mara Mills is a scholar of sound and technology, and her report on electronics miniaturization titled “Hearing Aids and the History of Electronics Miniaturization” in the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Annals of the History of Computing details this process. Before World War II, these innovators were making components small in electronics and making the assembly of these devices smaller than ever. These components became useful in a wide variety of applications. After the war, hearing aid users became the main consumer market for these tiny components, including printed circuits, transistors, and eventually integrated circuits. In the time between their applications in hearing aids and today, these components have found uses in other devices as wide-ranging as other audio amplification and music devices to the microphones and speakers found in smartphones. We can credit these innovators with bringing miniature electronics into the mainstream and finding ways to produce them at costs that consumers were able to afford. 

Hearing Loss Stigma

Although these innovations are truly groundbreaking advances in technology, they were inspired by an unfortunate social reality. Many people have historically felt a desire to hide their hearing loss from others. Whether they see it as a lack of independence, a sign of aging, or simply a discomfort they don’t want to discuss with others, this avoidance of disclosing hearing loss has had a fortunate side effect in electronics miniaturization. However, the underlying force of that stigma also encourages some people to avoid getting the treatment they need. 

Today, the stigma on hearing assistance is lower than ever, particularly with the widespread adoption of other hearing amplification devices, such as wireless earbuds and Bluetooth receivers. With so many people using technology to enhance their lives, fewer people feel the need to hide their assistive devices. Those who do want to keep their hearing aids hidden can benefit from devices that fit entirely within the ear canal, invisible to others. However, many people are moving in the opposite direction, proudly wearing their hearing aids and feeling more than willing to discuss their experiences with others. 

If you have a family member who still feels unwilling to let the world know about their hearing loss, take the opportunity to discuss not only the options for invisible hearing aids but also the widespread acceptance they can now expect when it comes to disclosing their condition.