Colombian Artist Maluma Scolds Parent for Bringing One-Year-Old to His Loud-Ass Concert

On Friday, August 9, 2025, Columbian singer and rapper Maluma was performing in Mexico City when he paused the show to address a parent in the crowd. (A link to a video of Maluma and this incident is linked at the end of this article). In a video that has since gone viral, Maluma is heard scolding a parent for bringing a one-year-old to their concert where the decibels are through the fuc**** roof. In Maluma’s words “that kid doesn’t want to be there. Next time protect his ears…next time, be a little more conscious, okay?”

Did Maluma do the right thing? Yes, he did. And to celebrate his willingness to lose a fan for the greater good, I’ll be playing his music during my gym sessions this week. There is a difference between thinking “I am better than you” versus “I’m better than that.” Maluma did a great job breaking it down at his concert.

Illustration by author.

I don’t know what the situation was. Did the parent fail to get a babysitter? Did daycare flake last minute? Was the baby dropped off at the concert? Whatever the inconvenience, it appeared to be a serious case of Fear Of Missing Out (FOMO). Except there was no fear…or missing out. Did you think there would be? It’s Maluma baby! Any one-year-old would be grateful to join such an occasion! Jokes aside, the decision to bring a one-year-old to a Maluma concert is wild. This ain’t a baby shark doodle doo. This is burlesque-inspired choreography, diverse bodily fluids, and likely a crowd wining their hips to lyrics that reminds them of that toxic relationship. Tell that baby to put in their time like the rest of us. This is adult therapy. Jokes finally aside. One remedy for FOMO is a bit of shame and Maluma was inclined to serve.

We all make mistakes and can be unaware at times. This article is meant to help us be more mindful as parents, friends, educators, family members, or neighbors. It also presents an opportunity to briefly touch on a frequently overlooked topic — the long-term effects of noise exposure that, while deemed safe, may still carry hidden risks over time.

August 9, 2025 | Social media screenshot of Colombian artist Maluma reprimanding a parent during a Mexico City concert

One of the best things we can do to protect our mood, our hearing, and brains is to bring inexpensive disposable earbuds everywhere. This tool along with a bit of consideration will be my focus in this article. While some companies offer high-end earplugs for various occasions, simple foam earplugs can reduce noise by 22 to 33 decibels (dB) making them the most convenient to buy and stash around in your car, drawers, purses, and baby travel bags. If Maluma’s concert was over 100 dB (most concerts range from 100–120 dB), the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) would say only about 2 hours is safe and for a one-year-old…even much lower levels can risk permanent hearing damage. According to OSHA the Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL) is 90 decibels (dB) for an 8-hour workday. The recommended exposure time drops off sharply as decibel levels rise. The U.S. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), has a more protective recommendation. (See comparison charts below).

Get curious about how loud your world is. You can measure the loudness (amplitude) of sound using a decibel meter which measures sound pressure level in dB. Apple Inc’s App Store, the Google Play Store, and the Samsung Galaxy Store all have free downloadable applications you can use to measure dB with your phone. Begin to pay attention to how loud your environments are. If it’s loud for you, it’s probably louder for your child. Plus, one of my biggest pet peeves is being forced into someone else’s sonic world. If I am in the subway, at a park, or in line at the DMV, I don’t want to consume whatever content you’re consuming. Noise makes people squirm and our brains too. Next time your kid is acting fidgety, put some earplugs on them and check if their behavior changes. Mere loudness is not the only auditory issue we should be looking out for. Noisy environments affect our brains even if that noise is technically considered safe.

Illustration by Author.

So-called “safe” noise disorganizes sensory maps in our brains and it keeps us from getting the best quality and quantity of sleep. You don’t have to have autism, ADHD, anxiety or any diagnosis to benefit from a world with less noise. In the same way, you don’t need to have a condition to suffer the negative consequences of long-term noise exposure. As the neuroscientist Nina Kraus Ph.D. points out in her book Of Sound Mind, when adult animals were exposed to safe levels of noise for several weeks, the frequencies in that noise took over the space in the brain that “rightfully belonged to other frequencies.” Hence, damage caused by safe noise is not limited to sensitive periods during childhood development; it can also affect adults. As Dr. Kraus explains in her book, outside noise gets imprinted as neural noise within our brains and that internal mess acts as a barrier to decoding messages. Exposing ourselves to long periods of noise can disable our ability to extract meaning from sound.

Ask yourself if it’s too noisy where you or your kids study. Noise can hinder students’ ability to learn and concentrate. In the late 1970s the New York Transit Authority added rubber padding to nearby train tracks, and the Board of Education installed soundproofing in the loudest classrooms to improve reading. New York City, children in classrooms facing a busy elevated train were 3 to 11 months behind in reading compared to those on the quieter side of the school. After the soundproofing measures reduced noise by 6–8 decibels, the reading gap disappeared!

Unfortunately, these types of issues are often overlooked. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to realize that noisy environments affect our mood, behavior, ability to focus, and the quality of our lives. Let’s be better and design our private and public infrastructures with this sense in mind.

Oh, and if I am every being too loud, feel free to tell me. I tend to project my voice. I grew up in a loud household xD

Video link to incident at Maluma’s concert in Mexico City.