Alarm over irreversible hearing loss caused by GAMING: Top experts urge parents to turn down volume on children’s headsets
- A large-scale study has shown that noise levels are often close to or even exceed safe limits
- Gamers often play at high intensity sound levels for several hours at a time
Parents should force children to turn down the volume of computer games or they risk irreversible hearing loss in the future, new research suggests.
A major study by the World Health Organization (WHO), involving more than 50,000 people, found that noise levels are often close to or even exceed safe limits.
Gamers often play at high sound levels for hours at a time, while impulse sounds – such as shooting noises – can be very high, experts say.
They warned that given the popularity of gaming – especially among children and teenagers – more must be done to raise awareness of the risks.
The WHO suggests that the ‘permissible’ time a person can be exposed to 83 dB sound is 20 hours per week, 10 hours at 86 dB, dropping to 2.5 hours at 92 dB, then this is 2.5 hours and only 38 minutes at 98 dB.
A large-scale study by the World Health Organization (WHO), involving more than 50,000 people, found that noise levels are often close to or exceed safe limits
These levels apply to children who can safely listen to 83 dB sounds for approximately 6.5 hours, 86 dB sounds for approximately 3.25 hours, 92 dB sounds for 45 minutes, and 98 dB sounds for only 12 minutes per week. the team said.
However, the study found that on average, levels are often near this or higher, according to findings published in the journal BMJ Public Health.
They warned that shooting noises and other high-pitched sounds are often 15 dB higher than background noise, with some reaching as high as 119 dB during game play – above the 100 dB considered safe for children.
The team from the University of South Carolina, USA, and the WHO concluded that ‘gamers who listen battle hearing loss and/or tinnitus’.
It added: ‘Findings suggest that there may be a need to prioritize interventions, such as initiatives aimed at educating and raising awareness of the potential risks of gaming, which can help promote safe listening among gamers.’
Calling for further work in this area, they added: ‘The limited evidence available suggests that gaming may be a common source of unsafe listening, putting many people worldwide at risk of permanent hearing loss and/or tinnitus.
“Additional research into these relationships is needed, along with steps to promote safe listening among gamers.”
Franki Oliver, audiology manager at the Royal National Institute for Deaf People, says parents should monitor both the volume and time their children spend playing games.
She said: ‘If you use gaming headsets or headphones, it is very important that you do not exceed the safe volume limits on your device.
‘Younger people may not realize how loud the volume is, so it’s a good idea for parents and carers to encourage regular breaks and turn the volume down if it’s too loud.
‘Hearing damage caused by noise can be permanent, but it is preventable.’