Warning to headphone users.

[bitvomit]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Headphone#Dangers_.26_Volume_Solutions

I've said it before but no one ever listens (you definitly won't be able to listen later on in life!). Playing any game with headphones for extended periods of time is bad for your ears. What worries me the most about online gaming communities is the fact that lots of gamers champion the virtues of using headphones to get an aural advantage.

This can be dangerous with games like BF2 that produce an excessive amount of noise. What of all the pro gamers that practice religiously and use headphones? I feel sorry for them. Imo, there are no safe headphones and no safe volume. Your ears were not designed to process noise constantly. Your hearing will naturally degrade over time as you get older and unfortunately, using headphones will get you there quicker. Anyone remember back when Valve lowered the volume of footsteps in CS:S? I bet you can guess what gamers did to compensate!

Why am I even bitching about this? How would you like it if you had to have white noise blasting in your ear 24/7 for the rest of your life? I have tinnitus as a result of playing many many games of BF2, CS, and especially CS:S and music. I did not realize that something was wrong until I started to have trouble focusing on a particular conversation when many sounds (ie tv's, cars outside, etc) were present. By then it was already too late. Although I can still hear, it is nothing at all like what it used to be. Tinnitus causes difficulty sleeping because dead silence is replaced with constant ringing of the ears.

It is very unpleasant yet totally preventable. Please don't reply with "but i have <insert uber headphones here>, i'm just fine!". You are only fooling yourself into thinking it can't happen to you. My advice to anyone would be to buy a set of good surround sound speakers and stay the hell away from headphones unless absolutly necessary. Some people may or may not use them as excessively as I did, but the fact of the matter is that the damage occurs over time.

You are welcome to google for tinnitus, headphones, ipod etc to find more information. This is all truth.

To mods: This information is relevant to all gamers, BF2 including.

[zuiquan1]

Re: Warning to headphone users.

meh, Im not to worried, Ill take whats comming to me when the time comes, but ATM I will continue to play with headphones as this is a very loud game and Im not the only one living in this house

[bitvomit]

Re: Warning to headphone users.

meh, Im not to worried, Ill take whats comming to me when the time comes, but ATM I will continue to play with headphones as this is a very loud game and Im not the only one living in this house

All I can say is that you are foolish. You will be worried when it starts to become a problem.

[WarGimp]

Re: Warning to headphone users.

I've been to too many rock concerts to be all that worried about headphones at moderate volume.


Tis good to be aware of health risks associated with your hobby tho.

[TheFastFreddie]

Re: Warning to headphone users.

Army took 1/3 of my hearing and BF2 in headphones doesn't even come close to the noise a .50 cal puts out let alone any explosions.

[bitvomit]

Re: Warning to headphone users.

Army took 1/3 of my hearing and BF2 in headphones doesn't even come close to the noise a .50 cal puts out let alone any explosions.

You are wrong. Real life guns can damage your hearing, but you fail to realize that having a source of loud concentrated noise directly beside your ear is just as bad, if not worse! Like I said, no one listens, they always seem to have some ignorant reason to continue destroying their hearing. Just because your hearing is already messed up does not mean it's high time to start ruining it even more or that you are somehow immune to more damage.

[N2K]

Re: Warning to headphone users.

I have selective hearing...

[Dangerdog]

Re: Warning to headphone users.

And if that doesn’t get ya, carpel tunnel will. I don’t think sitting and being inactive is so healthy either.

What do you know, video games are bad for you.

[bitvomit]

Re: Warning to headphone users.

And if that doesn’t get ya, carpel tunnel will. I don’t think sitting and being inactive is so healthy either.

What do you know, video games are bad for you.

Computer use definitly contributes to carpal tunnel. I have CTS symptons occasionly. I don't think that console gamers have it as bad though as you can sit on the couch or lay down when playing.

[Rambo]

Re: Warning to headphone users.

how about stress management for patches:laugh:

seriously i have too nice of speakers to use headphones so i dont use viop either

[WarGimp]

Re: Warning to headphone users.

Computer use definitly contributes to carpal tunnel. I have CTS symptons occasionly. I don't think that console gamers have it as bad though as you can sit on the couch or lay down when playing.

Tell that to my case of Nintendo thumb!

I lost partial feeling in my thumb for months because I over did that friken gamepad.

[bitvomit]

Re: Warning to headphone users.

Tell that to my case of Nintendo thumb!

I lost partial feeling in my thumb for months because I over did that friken gamepad.

That's why I hate Mario Party

[WarGimp]

Re: Warning to headphone users.

That's why I hate Mario Party

Mario Party?
Son, I'm talking Mario Bros here.


Way ta make me feel old.

[kiss my RICE]

Re: Warning to headphone users.

Hehe..oldie...hehehe...carrot strykes again. *Badadm DA!*

[bitvomit]

Re: Warning to headphone users.

Mario Party?
Son, I'm talking Mario Bros here.


Way ta make me feel old.

I thought you were talking about this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mario_P...on_controversy

I've never had any CTS problems myself from using digital gamepads, although analog sticks can fatigue the thumb after awhile. Lightgun games are notorious for arm fatigue. I wonder what kind of backlash we can expect when the Nintendo Wiimote starts to cause problems for people.