Anime is a form of movie that attracts young children. It has vibrant colors, understandable plots and characters that kids find believable. Years ago, it was a special treat for grandparents to take their grandchildren to see these movies. Directors did not understand this phenomenon enough and let the music override the words in many scenes. This made it difficult for grandparents to hear the dialogue and it was not a good experience.
Hearing aids have been used by the elderly for many decades. They did nothing more than amplify all sounds. This made those who were only hard of hearing able to hear easier. It did not help those who had nerve damage and needed help distinguishing background noise from conversation. Hearing words continued to be difficult, especially in the animated movies enjoyed by children. Grandparents could no longer understand the twists and turns in the plots because they needed the cues in the soundtrack as well as the visuals to understand the story.
In the late 1980’s, digital hearing aids changed the world for older people who were hard of hearing. Rather than just amplifying all sound, these marvels of technology muted background noise and amplified spoken words. This meant that the music of animated movies did not override the dialogue. Grandparents could again share a complete movie experience with their grandchildren.
There are still a few difficulties with hearing aids today. Cost is a major factor that continues to keep people from getting the best hearing experience. Programmable hearing aids that are adjustable for individuals have been recently introduced to the market. Time will bring down the cost, but the wait may be difficult. There are wonderful anime movies being released on a regular basis, and children grow up very quickly. Sharing these special movies with grandchildren is important for grandparents and provides a lifetime of great memories for children.
