Screens are everywhere—in your pocket, throughout your house, and even in newer cars and fast food restaurants. Further, they’re used for everything—work, school, play, shopping, creating, connecting…you get the idea. These technologies were created to make daily tasks easier and more enjoyable. In theory, they should make life better.

Why, then, does it feel more awkward to talk to someone on a video call? Why do online classes feel so draining? Why do hours of endless scrolling or binge watching not feel restful? If anything, it can seem like technology has made life harder.

If you’ve had any of these thoughts, you are not alone and you are not mistaken. Psychological research is beginning to show that screen exposure is linked with fatigue.

This article overviews some of the physiological and neurological symptoms of screen fatigue.

Draining Your Battery: Symptoms of Screen Fatigue

  1. Eye Strain. Excessive exposure to screens can lead to physical symptoms such as eye strain and migraines (Zhao et al., 2018). This extra blue light exposure, which your eyes perceive as daylight and thus keeps you awake, can also make it more difficult to fall asleep at night, especially if you’re using your phone or laptop in bed. Additionally, it can also lead to emotional symptoms such as boredom, burnout, and hopelessness.
  2. “Shared” Spaces. The idea that humans are creatures of habit takes root in the brain. Neurons form by pairing actions with environments (Thompson, 2020): You work in an office; you dine in the kitchen; you sleep in your bedroom. Your sense of routine is mapped out in these various physical spaces. However, in the case of remote working, for example, your brain is using more energy when your workspace takes over your house. This, alongside ongoing notifications and multitasking, may make it feel difficult or disorienting to disconnect and go from one activity to the next.
  3. Harder to Read Nonverbal Cues. When meeting face to face, people can instantly and intuitively read nonverbal cues—eye contact, small facial movements, tapping feet, etc.—through the brain’s activation of mirror neurons. While this isn’t impossible to interpret online, it is slower and harder. Psychoanalyst Gillian Isaacs Russell identified that internet lag, audio reverb, and looking at a screen instead of the camera promote a small, but significant delay in reading body language (2015). Further, Dickerson et al. (2017) found that mirror neurons may not activate at all! As such, people may be using more mental power trying to converse with others online, leading them to become more tired, frustrated, angry, or anxious.

 

If you’ve experienced any of these symptoms, you might be wondering what can be done to remedy it. Stay tuned for Part 2, which considers a few practical steps you can take to help conserve your personal “battery” throughout the day.

Mark Cadlaon, B.S. is a Counseling Intern with experience working with individuals across the U.S. and internationally navigate through life transitions and stressors that impact athletic, academic, or occupational performance. If you are interested in meeting with Mark in-person or online/telehealth, please request an appointment or call us at (720) 489-8555.

 

 

References:

Dickerson, K., Gerhardstein, P., & Moser, A. (2017). The role of the human mind in supporting   communication in a digital world. Frontiers in Psychology, 8, 698. doi: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00698.

Isaacs Russell, G. (2015). Screen relations: The limits of computer-mediated psychoanalysis and psychotherapy. New York, NY: Routledge.

Thompson, C. (2020, Apr. 15). A body of work. Curt Thompson MD. Retrieved from   https://curtthompsonmd.com/a-body-of-work/.

Zhao, Z-C., Zhou, Y., Tan, G., & Li, J. (2018). Research progress about the effect and prevention of blue light on eyes. International Journal of Ophthalmology, 11(12). doi: 10.18240/ijo.2018.12.20.