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Younger people won't consider hearing loss until they experience it, and then it's too late. You can tell them about it, but they won't believe you. If your ears ring after a concert, it means you lost some hearing that night. It may take years before you notice it, but that doesn't mean it's not happening.
I'm 37. I am just beginning to notice very slight hearing loss, and my ears ring more than they used to when I was young. Whenever I go to concerts, clubs, etc. (which is 2-4 times per year) I wear ear plugs. The music actually sounds better, and you still feel it in your gut. I also wear ear plugs when I mow the lawn or use any power tools. I've been very careful for the last 5 years or so. I wish I was careful before then.
When walking around on the sidewalks downtown, there are always emergency vehicles zooming around with their sirens blaring. They are loud enough to cause pain to pedestrians. I used to ignore it and wait the ten seconds or so for them to drive past, but now I stick my fingers in my ears. Nobody else does, except kids. If kids are sticking fingers in their ears, it means it's too damn loud. Everyone else is just trying to be too macho.
A lot of it is just getting to the point of maturity where I don't feel self consious anymore. When I was a teenager, I wouldn't wear bulky coats in the winter time, because they didn't seem "cool." Now I'd rather be warm. I'd also rather be able to hear.
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