I was listening to the same NPR show as the OP a couple of days ago and it was very interesting.

David Owen discusses his book "Volume Control" on Fresh Air

This is a soapbox cause for me:

Technology is rapidly advancing and sophisticated in-ear hearing aids are getting better and cheaper.
The Bose units are over-ear not specifically hearing aids and have a marked superiority to the existing technology for many people, but of course, are obvious which a lot of folks don't like

- - - - - me on my soapbox some more, unrelated to the NPR show: - - - - - -

I've noticed that many men have marked hearing loss compared to women. I put it down to many men who are older and were in the service and experience very loud and sharp damaging sounds (90DB and higher). Once hearing gets damaged it tends to be permanent moreover for some folks, initial hearing damage leads to progressive damage. It's not a fair world.

I'm kind of leery at referring to evolution but in the case of hearing most creatures are not capable of limiting the energy that goes into their ears. Hearing the sounds of predators or prey was vital to survival hence most critters don't have a volitional control over that incoming energy. Unfortunately the modern world and the technology of the apes who think they rule in it has led to a careless use of sound energy which leads to a lot of hearing damage (and death and ruination to many undersea mammals who absorb incredible amounts of energy from undersea use).

I've worked in areas where hearing protection is required. Fortunately for me it was a part of the industry with a lot of mandated protective education and materials. "Double hearing protection required" was a common posted sign and well observed.

I have seen many young people, and again more males than females, working in jobs where they deal with sounds which can be damaging but are either not obviously so, or in environments where it's a 'guy thing' to ignore such transient discomforts to avoid anticipated ridicule. Most recently I observed a teenager working in a garage and using loud whistling pressure hoses to inflate truck tires. I mentioned this to him and used a term someone once used to me: "Protect your ears and you can listen to Beethoven when your friends won't even be able to hear the dinner bell!"