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Why gaming might be damaging your child’s hearing, and the signs to look out for

Why gaming might be damaging your child’s hearing, and the signs to look out for

Could your child’s gaming headset be putting their hearing at risk? Audiologist Dr Jenn Schumacher explains how loud listening can affect young ears, the signs of tinnitus parents should look out for and simple ways to encourage safer gaming.

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Ruairidh Pritchard

Published: October 1, 2026 at 5:05 PM

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For lots of children and teenagers, putting on a gaming headset is as much a part of playing as picking up the controller. Headphones can help them chat with friends, pick up important in-game sounds and become fully immersed in the action.

But how loud is too loud? According to Dr Jenn Schumacher, audiologist at ReSound, listening through headphones at high volumes for long periods could increase the risk of tinnitus, a condition that can cause persistent ringing, buzzing or humming sounds in the ears.

From spotting potential warning signs to encouraging safer listening habits, here’s what parents need to know.

How loud can gaming headphones get?

It can be difficult for parents to know exactly how loud their child’s gaming headset is, particularly when they’re wearing it for long sessions.

Dr Schumacher says: “Many popular headsets can reach 88.5 to 119 decibels. For context, normal conversation is around 60 dB, while 85 dB is the point where prolonged exposure can start to damage hearing.

“At higher volumes, safe listening time drops quickly. Around 85 dB, someone could listen safely for about eight hours, but at 100 dB, safe exposure can fall to around 15 minutes.

“Sessions often last much longer than this. Players may increase the volume to hear footsteps, gunfire, or teammates speaking over background noise, especially in competitive games.”

Why tinnitus may be an issue for young gamers

It’s not necessarily gaming itself parents need to worry about, but how loudly and for how long children are listening.

“Children and teenagers may be particularly vulnerable, as they’re often less aware of safe listening habits,” says Dr Schumacher.

“Gaming headphones are also rarely used in isolation. Many children use the same devices throughout the day for music, videos, and chatting with friends.

“This cumulative exposure to loud sound can put strain on the auditory system and increase the likelihood of tinnitus.”

It may also be difficult to know if your child is experiencing symptoms, particularly if they don’t realise that what they’re hearing is unusual.

“Another challenge is that children don’t always recognise the symptoms,” explains Dr Schumacher. “They may feel embarrassed to bring it up, assume the sound is normal, or simply not mention it.”

What are the signs of tinnitus in children?

According to Dr Schumacher, parents can look out for a number of subtle changes in their child’s behaviour.

These can include:

Saying they can hear ringing, buzzing or humming after gaming or wearing headphones
Struggling to sleep when the room is quiet
Asking for background noise, such as music or a fan, when going to sleep
Finding it harder to concentrate on schoolwork because of distracting sounds in their ears
Asking people to repeat themselves more frequently
Turning up the television louder than usual
Complaining that their ears feel uncomfortable after long gaming sessions
Avoiding quiet spaces because ringing or other sounds become more noticeable

How can parents help protect their child’s hearing when gaming?

You don’t necessarily need to take away the headset. Instead, Dr Schumacher recommends looking at both the headphones your child is using and their listening habits.

“Parents should consider the type of headphones their child uses,” she says. “Some gaming headsets seal tightly around the ears and deliver sound directly into the ear canal, while others amplify bass or sound effects, which can make audio feel more intense.

“Look for headphones with volume-limiting features, and encourage safe listening habits.”

Try the 60/60 rule

One simple approach suggested by Dr Schumacher is the 60/60 rule.

“A useful guideline is the 60/60 rule: keeping volume at 60% of the device’s maximum and limiting listening to 60 minutes at a time.”

Encouraging children to take regular breaks from their headphones can also help, alongside talking to them about why their listening habits matter.

“Regular breaks from headphones and conversations about healthy listening habits can also help children develop safer long-term behavior,” says Dr Schumacher.

Does my child need to stop gaming?

The advice isn't to stop children gaming altogether. Instead, the focus is on encouraging sensible volume levels, taking breaks and making children more aware of how they use their headphones.

“Gaming itself isn’t the problem,” says Dr Schumacher. “With a few simple precautions, children can still enjoy gaming while protecting their hearing.”

And as games and gaming equipment become increasingly immersive, developing those habits early could be particularly important.

“As gaming technology becomes more immersive, it’s increasingly important that healthy listening habits start early,” says Dr Schumacher. “The choices children make today about volume and listening time can affect their hearing health in the future.”

About the expert Dr Jenn Schumacher is an audiologist at ReSound. She provides expert advice on hearing health and, here, shares guidance for parents on the potential risks of prolonged, high-volume headphone use, the signs of tinnitus to look out for and ways to encourage safer listening habits in children.

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Ruairidh PritchardDigital Growth Lead

Ruairidh is the Digital Lead on MadeForMums. He works with a team of fantastically talented content creators and subject-matter experts on MadeForMums.