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I had surgery to correct my balance during which had a lot of contact with audiologists who strongly urged me to have poured musician's earplug created (also called attenuators). I wear them to every movie and live show and, in some cases, will swap out the -15db filters with -25db if the levels are ridiculous. I also have a small meter I take and have been horrified at some of the loudest transients in previews.

I never do at the movies and when I was younger I never would at concerts. But in my older years I worry a bit about hearing loss and at the loudest of concerts I will pop in some ear plugs. I got a custom pair made for shooting that attunates anything over 85 db. Not sure by how much tho.

I was concerned about my son playing guitar with friends in a loud environment. I bought Audiologist fitted Musicians earplugs that are fitted to the ear for both him and me, his with 15db & 25db attenuation plugs, mine with 15db. I take them with me to all concerts and use them and that way I can enjoy without worrying about hearing loss. My son didn't use them at first now uses them all the time at age 21.

I don't think I have seen or known a whole lot of people who do wear earplugs while at concerts or loud movies. I think that it might be necessary for some but I don't and don't think most other people do either.

 

Wearing earplugs is probably a smart idea while you're staying a night online or when at a really loud environment but most people do not bother with it at all it seems.

I started working in a factory at age 19. The company I worked for was serious about hearing conservation, and provided free earplugs, free mandatory annual screenings, and heavy discounts on custom-fitted plugs. Those incentives, plus the numerous examples of the older workers who were almost all nearly deaf, provided me enough motivation to be a lifelong proponent of hearing conservation. Now that I'm an electrician, and hearing protection is more of a personal choice, I always make sure to wear earplugs on jobsites, even if the noise level doesn't seem to be excessive. Moderately loud environments can be the most damaging to ears because the listener quickly adapts to the elevated noise level and underestimates the potential for harm.

I wear cheap universal earplugs because that is what is generally provided and I don't care for the custom plugs I've tried.