WHO Warns: Video Games Danger Young Players’ Hearing!

WHO Warns: Video Games Danger Young Players’ Hearing!

The World Health Organization (WHO) warned on the occasion of World Hearing Day that playing video games excessively and loudly can cause significant hearing damage. According to a comprehensive study, more than one billion young adults worldwide are at risk of hearing damage due to improper use of headphones. Young and old share the joy of digital gaming, but the consequences could be far-reaching: players are twice as likely to lose their high-frequency hearing abilities compared to their peers who do not use video games, and are also at an increased risk of developing tinnitus. Tinnitus manifests itself as annoying noises such as whistling or ringing in the ears that are perceived as distressing over long periods of time, as the WHO states in a report published jointly with RND.

New standards for the gaming industry

The WHO is calling on manufacturers of video games and audio devices to urgently introduce new safety standards. This includes an individual warning for users who exceed loud volume levels, as well as the implementation of attenuation systems in headphones. These regulations are intended to ensure that viewers are not unintentionally exposed to high volumes. The WHO also advises that players should be able to independently adjust the volume of certain sounds within the games. These measures aim to minimize the risk of hearing damage in the long term and make gaming safer, as the WHO emphasizes in its report.

In total, around three billion people worldwide play video games. Against this background, the WHO's warning is even more urgent. She calls on the entire industry to act proactively and implement the proposed standards to promote healthy use of the popular leisure activity, she said Small newspaper and RND.