Video gamers may be risking irreversible hearing loss and/or tinnitus, suggests a systematic review of the available evidence worldwide.
Assessing 14 studies, involving more 50,000 people, the authors concluded that sound levels from video games often nearly exceed, or exceed, permissible safe limits of sound exposure. Gamers often play at high-intensity sound levels and for several hours at a time, they added.
While the authors acknowledge limits to the data in the review (some studies were from the early 1990s), they say the data suggests ‘that some gamers, particularly those who play frequently, and at or above the average sound levels… are engaging in unsafe listening practices.’
They conclude that greater public health efforts are needed to raise awareness. They state the ‘findings suggest that there may be a need to prioritise interventions, such as initiatives focused on education and awareness of the potential risks of gaming, that can help promote safe listening among gamers’.
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