Assessment of spontaneous eye blink rate in online livestream videogame players

Abstract

Introduction: The normal blink rate for humans is between 12 and 15 blinks per minute (bpm). Screen use has been associated with decreased blink rate and increased percentage of incomplete blinks, however, little is known about the effects of videogaming on blink rate. The purpose of this study was to assess the blink rate of online livestream video game players. Methods: A total of 30 livestream video gamers across YouTube, Twitch, and Facebook Gaming were selected for this study. Video gamers were characterized by gender and whether or not they were wearing glasses. Blink rate was observed for 5 minutes and defined as a complete closure of the ocular surface. Descriptive statistics and linear regression were used to determine significance (p<0.05) between variables. All analyses were conducted using RStudio (version 1.3.1056; RStudio, Inc). Results: The study population comprised of 30 video game players (50% men). The mean (standard deviation [SD]) blink rate of the total study population was 14.79 (8.79) bpm. Compared to male gamers, female gamers had a higher mean blink rate, however this was not statistically significant (17.07 vs. 12.51, p=0.16). A total of 3 (10%) video game players wore glasses. The difference in blink rate between video game players wearing and not wearing glasses was not statistically significant (14.07 vs 14.87, p=0.88). Conclusions: The average blink rate of select livestream video game players was observed to be within the range of normal spontaneous blink rates. The observed blink rate between male and female gamers did not differ. More research in controlled environments would help to elucidate the blink rate and patterns of video game players