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Video gamers worldwide may be risking irreversible hearing loss and/or tinnitus (medicalxpress.com)

submitted 10 months ago by MicroWave to c/science

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Video gamers worldwide may be risking irreversible hearing loss and/or tinnitus—persistent ringing/buzzing in the ears—finds a systematic review of the available evidence, published in the open access journal BMJ Public Health.

What evidence there is suggests that the sound levels reported in studies of more than 50,000 people often near, or exceed, permissible safe limits, conclude the researchers.

And given the popularity of these games, greater public health efforts are needed to raise awareness of the potential risks, they urge.

While headphones, earbuds, and music venues have been recognized as sources of potentially unsafe sound levels, relatively little attention has been paid to the effects of video games, including e-sports, on hearing loss, say the researchers.

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[+] [email protected] -10 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (1 children)

Why is this receiving such hate? I'm one of those affected, and it would make sense that video games were a huge reason why I have such bad ringing in my ears. It should absolutely be taught that playing video games runs the same risks as going to a concert, ear buds, headphones.

I'm confident we have all went to play a game, and not realized that our headset volume had been set to max. Definitely a personal feeling, but I wish someone had said maybe pay better attention before playing video games.

Edit: My point is, I'm one of those dumb people who would not have realized that gaming was on the same level as going to a concert. I could've used a nice little reality snap that this articles title gives. I only want to provide a second opinion, and hopefully entice someone else to read the article and give it a chance. We all know many people check comments before reading an article.

[–] [email protected] 43 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (1 children)

Because the issue isn't the video games fault. Any gamer in danger of damaging their hearing from playing games, is likely in danger of the same damage from listening to music or talking on the phone at high volume, also.

Reasonable people can already figure out that listening to anything too loud is bad for their hearing. This article is a nothing burger, and the title uses fear-mongering/hate bait to get you to read it.

[+] [email protected] -11 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (1 children)

I am glad it is so obvious to you, however I am still thankful that articles like these get a chance to reach those who are unaware.

Because its not a fear monger, it is simply true for anyone unaware.

[–] [email protected] 23 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (1 children)

I can't even begin to imagine how a person that is capable of reading and comprehending the article as well as hearing sounds would be unaware that LOUD SOUNDS HURT EARS.

[+] [email protected] -13 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (1 children)

Maybe read the actual article then. I say this in a dickish tone, because it is not "simply loud noises" and it makes everyone else sound like an idiot in comparison to you.

[–] [email protected] 18 points 10 months ago (1 children)

I have read the article. It doesn't suggest that the games themselves are using sounds too loud, only that many gamers listen to them at higher than safe volumes.

[+] [email protected] -16 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (1 children)

Yes, exactly because it is not obvious that this will cause damage to their ears. I'm sorry, im hungry, but what are you trying to argue if you just agreed with me? It is not a hate/fear mongering article if its point is to bring attention to those unaware.

I'm not sure if the original was edited, or if im absolutely bonkers but I swore you used the words hate/fearmongering and not dumbass.

[–] CoggyMcFee 20 points 10 months ago (1 children)

I think what they are trying to say is, how can it be that a person knows about and understands that loud sounds in every other context can damage your hearing, and yet never realized that loud sounds in video games are bad in the same way as everything else