A recent study has found that gamers are at risk of experiencing irreversible hearing loss and tinnitus. The study suggests that gamers often play with the volume turned up to unsafe levels for extended periods of time. This prolonged exposure to high volumes can lead to damage to the ears. The study, which reviewed 14 studies involving over 50,000 people, calls for more public health efforts to raise awareness about the risks of gaming on hearing. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that adults should not be exposed to noise levels above 80 decibels (dB) for more than 40 hours a week. For children, the thresholds are even lower. Some of the studies evaluated by researchers found that average headphone noise levels in shooting games ranged from 88.5 to 91.2dB, while impulse sounds reached 119dB. The paper also found that boys tend to play video games more often and for longer periods of time at higher volumes than girls. While some studies found correlations between gaming and hearing loss, others linked gaming with tinnitus. The authors of the study acknowledge that more research needs to be done to establish a stronger link between gaming and hearing loss. They also suggest that factors such as e-sports, geographic region, sex, and age should be further investigated. The limited available evidence suggests that gaming may be a common source of unsafe listening, and therefore, interventions such as education and awareness initiatives should be prioritized to promote safe listening among gamers. The gaming industry body Ukie encourages people to use headphones within safe levels but did not comment further on the study. To protect your hearing while gaming, it is recommended to turn the volume down to about 50%, take regular breaks every hour, and use noise-cancelling headphones in noisy environments while not exceeding safe volume limits.

Original news source: Gamers at risk of irreversible hearing loss and tinnitus, study suggests (BBC)

– News Summary
Instructions: Have students read the article individually and then summarize the main points in their own words. They should focus on the risks of gaming on hearing, the recommended safe listening levels, and the need for awareness initiatives. After summarizing, students can compare their summaries with a partner and discuss any differences or additional information they included.
– Opinion Poll
Instructions: Divide the class into small groups. Each group should come up with a poll question related to the article, such as "Do you think gaming can lead to hearing loss?" or "Have you ever experienced tinnitus after gaming?" Each group will then conduct a mini poll within the class, asking other students their opinions on the topic. After collecting the data, each group will present their findings to the class and lead a discussion on the different perspectives.
– Sketch It
Instructions: Give each student a piece of paper and ask them to draw a visual representation of the risks of gaming on hearing. They can include elements such as headphones, volume levels, and ears. After everyone has finished, students can pair up and take turns explaining their drawings to their partners. This activity encourages creativity, visual thinking, and verbal communication.
– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Write a list of key vocabulary words from the article on the board, such as "tinnitus," "thresholds," and "impulse sounds." Divide the class into two teams. One student from each team will come to the front of the class and choose a word from the list. Without speaking, they must draw a picture to represent the word while their teammates try to guess what it is. The team that correctly guesses the most words within a given time limit wins.
– Two Truths and a Lie
Instructions: Have each student come up with two true statements and one false statement related to the risks of gaming on hearing. They can be personal experiences, statistics, or general facts. Each student will then share their statements with the class, and the rest of the students have to guess which statement is the lie. This activity encourages critical thinking, listening comprehension, and speaking skills.

A recent study has found that gamers are at risk of experiencing irreversible hearing loss and tinnitus. The study suggests that gamers often play with the volume turned up to unsafe levels for ? periods of time. This prolonged exposure to high volumes can lead to ? to the ears. The study, which reviewed 14 studies involving over 50,000 people, calls for more ? health efforts to raise awareness about the ? of gaming on hearing. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that adults should not be ? to noise levels above 80 decibels (dB) for more than 40 hours a week. For children, the thresholds are even lower. Some of the ? evaluated by researchers found that ? headphone noise levels in shooting games ranged from 88.5 to 91.2dB, while ? sounds reached 119dB. The paper also found that boys tend to play video games more often and for longer periods of time at higher volumes than girls. While some studies found correlations between ? and ? loss, others linked gaming with tinnitus. The authors of the study ? that more research needs to be done to establish a stronger link between gaming and hearing loss. They also suggest that factors such as e-sports, geographic region, sex, and age should be further investigated. The limited ? evidence suggests that gaming may be a common source of unsafe listening, and therefore, interventions such as ? and awareness initiatives should be prioritized to ? safe listening among gamers. The gaming industry body Ukie encourages people to use headphones within safe ? but did not comment further on the study. To protect your hearing while gaming, it is recommended to turn the volume down to about 50%, take regular ? every hour, and use noise-cancelling headphones in noisy environments while not exceeding safe volume limits.

1. What is irreversible hearing loss and tinnitus?
2. How would you feel if you were told that gaming could potentially cause irreversible hearing loss?
3. Do you like playing video games? Why or why not?
4. Do you think gaming addiction could be a factor in prolonged exposure to high volumes? Why or why not?
5. How do you think public health efforts could raise awareness about the risks of gaming on hearing?
6. Why do you think boys tend to play video games more often and for longer periods of time at higher volumes than girls?
7. What do you think could be the reasons behind the correlations between gaming and hearing loss found in some studies?
8. Why do you think more research needs to be done to establish a stronger link between gaming and hearing loss?
9. How do you think factors such as e-sports, geographic region, sex, and age could influence the potential link between gaming and hearing loss?
10. Do you think education and awareness initiatives would effectively promote safe listening among gamers? Why or why not?
11. How do you think the gaming industry could contribute to promoting safe listening among gamers?
12. Why do you think it is recommended to turn the volume down to about 50% and take regular breaks while gaming?
13. Have you ever experienced any negative effects on your hearing from playing video games? If so, how did it affect you?
14. What measures do you personally take to protect your hearing while gaming?
15. How do you think noise-cancelling headphones can help protect your hearing while gaming?

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