World Hearing Day 2025: Theme, Significance, And History

Every year on this day the world observes World Hearing Day to raise awareness about hearing loss and promote ear and hearing care worldwide. This was first established by the World Health Organization (WHO), as a global event to highlight the importance of early detection, prevention, and also treatment of hearing loss.

WHO's Initiative Towards Safe Hearing

Every year, this day focuses on certain themes to educate people, communities and policymakers about the challenges related to hearing health and the need for accessible hearing care services. This year, ahead of the World Hearing Day, the WHO and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) highlighted the first global standard for safe listening in video game and esport activities. This aimed to reduce the risk of and prevent hearing loss among gamers. As per a 2024 study published in BMJ Public Health, titled, Risk of sound-induced hearing loss from exposure to video gaming or esports: a systematic scoping review, more than 50,000 people exceed the levels of sound during gaming, this raises hearing issues. Gamers also play at high-intensity sound levels and for several hours at a time. As per reports, sound levels ranged from 43.2 decibels (dB) on mobile devices to 80 to 89 dB on gaming centers, while the length of noise exposure varied on mode and frequency. However, for an average, it was 3 hours per week.

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“Everyone can take steps today to ensure good hearing health throughout their life,” said Dr Jérôme Salomon, WHO Assistant Director-General, Universal Health Coverage, Communicable and Noncommunicable Diseases. “The WHO/ITU safe listening standard supports governments, manufacturers, civil society, and other stakeholders to foster safe listening environments, so that people of all ages can protect their ears and hearing, and even when playing video games, do not risk hearing loss.”

Safety Standards On Video-gaming and Sound:

The standard recommendation on gaming devices are:

• Sound allowance tracking to measure the player's sound exposure
• Safe listening messages to provide player with the information on sound usage
• A user-friendly volume control to be adjusted easily
• A headphone safety mode that can automatically adjust the volume when a player changes between headphone to loudspeaker

Recommendation for video gameplay software titles:

• To flash safe listening warnings
• Have independent volume control for different sound categories
• Adapting the soundtrack within safe listening features
• A headphone safety mode, where the software is capable of detecting a switch of audio output between headphone and loudspeaker and automatically reduces the volume

Origin

The first time this day was acknowledged was in 2007. Before that, it was known as the International Ear Care Day. In 2016, WHO renamed it as World Hearing Day. Every year, this day focuses on unique theme, this year's theme is on reshaping perception about ears and hearing care, where WHO is also acknowledging the issues gaming can create. This day also encourages people who are exposed to high-intensity sound to get it checked and also to follow through preventive measures to protect their ears from harmful and excessive noise.