GAMING’S popularity skyrocketed during the pandemic, with more people than ever before connecting with others through online games.
The majority of the population plays video games in some form or other, whether that’s playing Candy Crush on the bus to work, or your weekly Call of Duty catch-up.
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However, a new study has found that heavy use of video games can leave users at risk of irreversible hearing loss.
Published in the BMJ Journals, the paper reviews several studies from all over the world on the effect of video games on hearing loss.
The studies covered 54k participants, and gamers self-reported higher instances of hearing loss, such as tinnitus.
Luckily, the paper also outlines the possible causes of hearing loss in gamers so that we can avoid it.
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It is believed that the increase in hearing loss is caused by loud, sharp sounds that only last a short amount of time.
Jump scares in horror games or the sound of guns going off in FPS games can contribute to this.
As these sound effects are much louder than the background noise of the game, the noises can be much louder than the recommended limits.
However, if gamers adjust the sound level for these effects, then they can’t hear the other sounds in the game.
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Most games now have sophisticated sound settings that will allow you to change the volume of specific noises.
Adjusting these louder sound effects to the same level as the background noise will help prevent adverse effects.
Generally, video games have been found to have a positive effect on people’s overall health.
Gaming has been shown to have a good impact on mental health, giving players a sense of achievement.
They can also help people socially, allowing players to connect and make friends with people all over the world.
If you want to read more about gaming, check out Peanut Butter, the dog who speedruns games.
Written by Georgina Young on behalf of GLHF.
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