Medindia LOGIN REGISTER
Medindia

Beware! The New 21st Century Disease “Cyber Sickness” May Affect You

by Reshma Anand on Nov 18 2015 2:34 PM

Beware! The New 21st Century Disease “Cyber Sickness” May Affect You
Feeling queasy when you scroll through apps on your mobile phone, then you may be suffering from cyber sickness.
Cyber sickness or digital motion sickness is said to be a 21st century disease. It affects up to 80% of the population. Its main symptoms include nausea, headache, dizziness and muscle weakness.

The condition occurs when you play video games for a long time, watch a movie or scroll through web pages. The more realistic the visual content is, the higher your chances of getting cyber sickness.

Cyriel Diels, a cognitive psychologist and human factors researcher at Coventry University’s Center for Mobility and Transport said, "It’s a fundamental problem that’s kind of been swept under the carpet in the tech industry. It’s a natural response to an unnatural environment."

The main effect of motion sickness is that you will see movement on the screen but you won’t feel it. Often cyber sickness manifests itself in a subtle way and sufferers put it down to stress or eyestrain.

To stay away from cyber sickness, one must refrain from using mobiles for longer periods and take breaks in between. Shifting focus while viewing the screen of smartphone, computer or TV will help combat cyber sickness.

Source-Medindia


Advertisement