In this article, I have presented a few points based on the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Report (www.who.int/news/item/) so that readers can be careful and guide their children and others about the excessive use of Video Games.
“Studies suggest game sound levels often near, or exceed, permissible safe limits. Greater public health efforts are needed to raise awareness of potential risks and urge researchers. The Video Gamers worldwide may risk irreversible hearing loss and/or tinnitus—persistent ringing/buzzing in the ears”. This is an important point, as excessive use may cause hearing loss, which is unfortunate as video games are not part and parcel of life. Moreover, it may cause the Tinnitus. I wish to mention that Tinnitus is the medical term for “ringing in the ears.” Sometimes, Tinnitus sounds can interfere with other sounds of the person, i.e., suffering. In addition, anxiety and stress can worsen tinnitus, which can make feel worse all around. One can feel tinnitus in one ear or both ears. Further, people of all ages can develop tinnitus, but it’s more common in older adults. According to the website, healthline.com/health/tinnitus
Tinnitus can be of two types: objective and subjective. If other people can hear certain noises in the suffering person’s ears, it is called Objective Tinnitus. Anyway, Objective Tinnitus is not common. Rather can be said to be rare. On the other hand, Subjective Tinnitus is much more common. One feels that his/her ear(s) is ringing, roaring, etc. Also, it is evident from the website that Pulsatile Tinnitus is one form of subjective tinnitus. It may result from abnormal blood vessels in and around the person’s ears. The sounds may have the same rhythm as the heartbeat.
Anyway, from the WHO’s website (shared with me by the Organization), a few important points are presented for the benefit of readers.
A) “The headphones, earbuds, and music venues have been recognised 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”.
B) “Gamers often play at high-intensity sound levels and for several hours at a time, they add. And one estimate indicates that there were more than 3 billion gamers worldwide in 2022”.
C) “Reported sound levels ranged from 43.2 decibels (dB) (mobile devices) up to 80-89 dB (gaming centres) while the length of noise exposure varied by mode and frequency of access–from daily to once a month, for at least an hour at a time, averaging 3 hours/week”.
D) “Impulse sounds consist of bursts lasting less than 1 second, with peak levels at least 15 dB higher than the background sound. One study reported that impulse sounds reached levels as high as 119 dB during gameplay; permissible exposure limits are around 100 dB for children and 130–140 dB for adults”.
E) “The International Telecommunication Union (ITU), in collaboration with the World Health Organization, describes a time–intensity trade-off, known as an exchange rate, for permissible levels and duration of exposure, explain the researchers. For example, a permissible noise exposure level of 80 dB for 40 hours a week with a 3 dB exchange rate means the permissible exposure time halves with every 3 dB increase in noise level: at 83 dB, it’s 20 hours; at 86 dB it’s 10 hours; at 92 dB it’s 2.5 hours; and at 98 dB it’s 38 minutes”.
F) “For children, the permissible noise exposure level is 75 dB for 40 hours a week. Children can, therefore, safely listen to an 83 dB sound for around 6.5 hours, 86 dB for around 3.25 hours, 92 dB for 45 minutes, and 98 dB for only 12 minutes a week, explain the researchers”.
G) “One study reported that over 10 million people in the USA may be exposed to 'loud' or 'very loud' sound levels from video or computer games”.
I, as a senior citizen, have presented the facts based on the WHO's Report for the benefit of the people in general and children in particular.
Prof Shankar Chatterjee, Hyderabad.
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