Listening Fatigue

The mental and physical exhaustion experienced from sustained effortful listening, commonly reported by people who are Hard of Hearing or use hearing aids and cochlear implants. Listening fatigue can reduce comprehension, concentration, and engagement over time. In the context of media consumption, it affects caption preferences—viewers experiencing listening fatigue may prefer simpler, more concise captions to reduce overall cognitive load. The phenomenon also affects children in educational settings who must concentrate on understanding speech throughout the school day.