Survey Finds Video Gamers Risk Hearing Loss, But Most Are Willing to Adopt Safer Listening Practices

Over half of younger adults ages 18-35 are regularly putting their hearing at risk by playing video games too loud and for too long, and some are already experiencing hearing loss due to video games. However, when informed of their risk for hearing loss, most are receptive to proposed safer listening features for video games and express a willingness to change their listening habits.

These are the topline results from a new poll [PDF] released yesterday by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), the World Health Organization (WHO)/Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), and the WHO Collaborating Center for Rehabilitation in Global Health Systems at the University of Lucerne.

“In the US, on average, young adults are gaming for 17 hours per week, and unfortunately, a third of them are already noticing difficulty hearing,” said Lindsay Creed, AuD, ASHA’s associate director of audiology practices, in a video produced by the organization. “They’re noticing difficulties like having trouble with conversations in background noise, or they’re noticing tinnitus, which is an abnormal buzzing or hissing in their ears—and unfortunately, they could be on track to irreversible hearing damage. The good news is most of [the survey] respondents are willing to make changes if it meant lowering their risk to hearing damage and they didn’t think doing so would affect the quality of their gaming experience.”

Specifically, 43% use headphones for long periods of time, and nearly 30% do so at loud volumes. Other activities that put them at risk for hearing loss from excessive noise exposure include spending time around loud music, attending concerts, sporting events, and other large gatherings, and working in noisy environments.

You can download the PDF of “Video Gamer Safe Listening Poll.” Key findings of the survey include:

• Globally, more than three-quarters regularly engage in activities that can be detrimental to hearing, including 52% who use headphones for long periods or at loud volumes.
• Yet, the majority believe their listening habits are fine the way they are, both in terms of volume level (71%) and time spent listening (68%).
• Over one-third of video gamers report hearing difficulties. Among that group, one-quarter feel their video gaming habits have contributed to their hearing issues.
• Less than one-third of video gamers overall feel they are at risk of hearing loss from playing video games.
• Preventing hearing difficulties is important to most video gamers (87%).
• More than two-thirds say they are likely to change their habits after being informed about the potential for hearing loss from unsafe listening habits while video gaming.
• The features proposed by WHO to make listening safer are generally well received, with the majority of video gamers reporting they would be likely to use them and few believing there would be a negative impact on their gaming experience.

Dr. Creed says the survey indicates these young adults value their hearing and would be willing to try features like safe listening modes and other features to reduce the noise levels or sounds that might lead to tinnitus while gaming. She says audiologists are in a prime position to inform the public about the dangers of loud video game play and why gamers should act now before they incur hearing damage. She says some steps they can take include:

• Reducing the volume by 50% or less using noise-canceling headphones that reduce surrounding noises that can compete with sound from the games
• Taking frequent breaks every hour or so, giving your ears a break
• Paying attention to your hearing and see an audiologist if you notice reduced hearing ability
• Monitor and track your hearing via online hearing screening tools
• Stay tuned for WHO’s release of a new global safe listening standard on video gaming

The 10-minute survey conducted on April 1-15, 2024 by international online research group YouGov involved 1,678 younger people (ages 18-35) who play video, computer, or mobile games weekly. There were roughly equal numbers of respondents from the United States (506), Brazil (524), and Japan (648).

WHO plans to release two new global standards under its Make Listening Safe umbrella: one for personal listening devices and the other for entertainment venues.

Source: ASHA, WHO, PAHO, University of Lucern

Video content from HearingTracker

HearingTracker audiologist Matthew Allslop discusses the dangers of noise-related hearing damage when it comes to gaming.