What is cybersickness, the mysterious condition linked to screen use?

**Joseph Chance** (0:04)
What is Cybersickness? The mysterious condition linked to screen use.
Thanks for asking.
You may well have experienced motion sickness or travel sickness in the past, while Cybersickness is a modern ailment that follows a similar kind of logic, or rather the opposite logic. Instead of moving while feeling still, like when you're on a boat or in a car, with Cybersickness, you perceive movement while you're actually still.
But the result is the same. Your brain fails to adapt to this dissonance, and hence brings on nausea, dizziness, cold sweats, and other balance disorders. This can happen when using a computer, smartphone, or virtual reality headset. What's the similarity with motion sickness? Scrolling content on a screen is actually a form of motion. Our body is disturbed by technologies that alter our perception of motion. Just as motion sickness is related to the vestibular system, cyber sickness is induced by the set of sensory organs in the inner ear and the brain. The vestibular system controls spatial orientation and balance. Therefore the sensations, as well as the symptoms, are the same. Why doesn't it affect all of us then? It largely depends on the number of hours spent in front of screens, immersed in a continuous and repetitive digital world. Scrolling through social media feeds multiple times a day, switching between windows on a computer, being exposed to auto-playing videos or pop-up ads and so on. This digital overconsumption strains the body's adaptability and is affecting more and more people. Being completely disconnected from the markers of reality is increasingly common, due to the popularity of new technologies like VR headsets and 3D glasses. What can I do if I start feeling unwell in front of my laptop or smartphone screen then? Most likely, it's a sign that you've been focused on your screen for too long and ignored your surrounding physical environment. You've disconnected from real reference points, even the chair you're sitting on. Take regular breaks to reconnect with your environment and you should feel better.
The main takeaway is that spending less time using digital devices is important. You can also start holding your phone further away from your face, and avoid looking at it while lying down or in a dark room. Also, consider scrolling through content more slowly to better control the frequency of images. There you have it.
Now you know what cybersickness is. In under three minutes, we answer your questions, and help you understand the true meaning behind the trends, concepts and acronyms that are making headlines. Listen along and you will really know for sure.