Documenting the lived experiences of young adult cochlear implant users: ‘feeling’ sound, fluidity and blurring boundaries

Abstract

This article draws on qualitative research that explored the lived experiences of 16 young adult cochlear implant users. The original study focused on the emerging generation of young adult implant users and presented their stories as a means of furthering research into the experiences of living with, and using, implant technology as part of everyday life. This article will explore the process of being ‘switched on’, the adaptation to the new version of sound, and the users’ perceptions of the positive and negative aspects of living with their technology. The findings indicate that activating the implant technology can produce a range of sounds that are both heard and felt by the user. Furthermore, the process of learning to live with the technology highlights the fluidity of the cochlear implant experience and the blurring of boundaries between the (deaf) body and its technology.

Keywords:

• cochlear implant
• deaf
• technology
• lived experience
• fluidity
• blurring boundaries

Disclosure statement

No potential conflicts of interest were reported by the author.