Scrolling Sickness

We’ve all heard about the pros and cons of social media and the hours spent scrolling mindlessly without really taking anything in. It can be a great way to waste time, or pass the hours – depending on how you see it, and value the social-sphere.  It also, undoubtedly has the ability to trigger the release of the neurotransmitter dopamine into our systems. Dopamine acts a ‘reward centre’ in the brain, and helps give us that feeling of pleasure or satisfaction, it is also what is used to motivate us and even help us learn. Outside of making us feel good, this feeling can also become addictive, this is why some people are never without their phones and are always online. As we know though, too much of a good thing can be a bad thing too and scrolling excessively can actually make us feel sick.

Cybersickness was something that was first associated with the use of Virtual Reality (VR) headsets, but has since also been associated with intensive scrolling. For most, cybersickness can feel a bit like motion sickness as it can present with similar symptoms, this is because both of them have everything to do with the senses and orientation. If you think about it, people who feel car sick do so because their body feels at odds with the direction and speed at which it is travelling because there are mixed signals being passed between your brain and your senses. According to Healthline, “you need your senses to get a feel for where you are and how you’re moving in the world. When your senses report contradictory information to the brain, it results in disorientation and physical symptoms.”

Cybersickness can happen to anyone at any time when scrolling on their phones, working on multiple screens at once, playing a video game, using a Virtual Reality headset or watching something being projected. What does cybersickness feel like though and how do you know if you’ve ever experienced it? The most common symptoms are very similar to motion sickness and can include nausea and light headedness. It can also trigger spells of dizziness, drowsiness, eye-strain and headaches. The contradiction between what your senses are saying versus your brain, can trigger the different symptoms. In order to address cybersickness the first step is to of course reduce your screen time and take frequent breaks to give your eyes a break and time to refocus. If possible, switch between audio files instead of videos, reducing your screen brightness and scrolling speed can also help too. In severe cases, motion sickness medication can taken.  Ultimately restoring balance and grounding the senses will go a long way to reduce the risk of cybersickness.