Cybersickness is a term used to describe a cluster of ailments we experience when looking at electronic screens for an extended period. While cybersickness may seem like a necessary evil in today’s world, especially with the rise of remote working, it can affect your focus and disrupt your sleep patterns.
Read on to learn more about cybersickness and how to reduce its effects.
Cybersickness Symptoms
Cybersickness symptoms typically include nausea, dizziness, eye strain, and headache. Overworking the eye muscles and nerves that control movement can result in fatigue, blurred vision, and loss of concentration.
These symptoms appear when we use electronic devices such as laptops, mobile phones, tablets, TVs, etc. If you use a VR machine, the symptoms may become even more intense.
Dizziness and headaches may persist for hours after you’ve stopped using an electronic device, and they could affect the quality of your sleep. While this may not seem like a big deal initially, it can impact your ability to function. The symptoms could jeopardize your movement coordination and reflexes. Long-term fatigue could lead to injuries and cause different psychological problems.
Why Do We Experience Cybersickness?
Scientists are still not 100% sure why we experience cybersickness. Many believe in the sensory conflict theory, which suggests that the mismatch of information between our body parts that control our vision and balance is the root of the problem.
The eyes “read” the information from the screen and think that you’re moving, although that’s not the case. Then, the eyes send these signals to other body parts and trigger motion sickness symptoms.
Don’t Forget to Take Breaks
You can relieve the discomfort in several ways. It’s recommended to use specially designed glasses that block the blue light emitted from the screens. Moreover, you should zoom in on the screen and use a larger font to reduce eye strain.
Additionally, staring at the screen for multiple hours in a row without taking a break is something you should avoid at all costs. We recommend using the 20-20-20 rule. For every 20 minutes spent looking at a screen, look away at something that’s 20 feet away for 20 seconds.
