Phone-Induced Vertigo: Neurologist Shares How Scrolling Your Phone Too Much Can Trick Your Brain’s Balance System

It starts subtly. You’ve been scrolling through videos for a while, and when you finally look up, the room feels like it’s spinning for a moment. Some describe it as a sudden wave of dizziness, others as a strange sense of movement, as if the body can’t quite keep up with the eyes. What many don’t realise is that this is not ‘just tiredness’, it can be a form of phone-induced vertigo, a modern condition linked to how our brain’s balance system reacts to visual overstimulation.

Why Your Phone Can Make You Dizzy

According to Dr Avinash Kulkarni, Consultant Neurologist, Gleneagles BGS Hospital, “Vertigo isn’t just about spinning rooms or severe balance loss. At its core, it’s a mix-up between what your eyes see, what your inner ear feels, and how your brain reads those signals. Normally, vision, balance, and body awareness work smoothly together, but when one goes off track, the brain has trouble making sense of its surroundings.”

Our phones are designed to flood the eyes with motion, fast-cut videos, scrolling feeds, quick transitions, flashing lights. These rapid movements trick the brain into thinking you’re in motion, even though your body is still. The result? A brief conflict between the visual and balance systems, producing symptoms like dizziness, light-headedness, eye strain, or even nausea.

Also Read: Dealing With Vertigo? Experts Explains The Impact And Tips To Manage Its Symptoms

The Modern Trigger No One Talks About

In the past, neurologists mostly saw vertigo caused by inner ear infections, migraine disorders, or changes in blood pressure. But in recent years, a new pattern has emerged. As per a recent study published in ResearchGate, Many young adults, especially those who spend long hours on mobile devices, complain of transient dizziness or imbalance after prolonged scrolling or gaming.

“This is known in medical literature as visual vertigo or cybersickness. It’s similar to the motion sickness you feel in a moving car, only here, the motion comes from the screen, not your surroundings,” shares Dr Kulkarni.

Why Young People Are More Susceptible to Digital Vertigo

Ironically, it’s not the elderly but the young who are now reporting this the most. With average screen time in India crossing six to eight hours a day among working professionals and students, our brains are adapting to near-constant motion input.

Young users also tend to use phones while lying down, multitasking, or scrolling in dim light, all of which strain the eyes and affect the vestibular system further. Over time, this can make the brain react more strongly to visual motion, making vertigo symptoms easier to trigger.

Also Read: Understanding Vertigo: Causes of Spinning Head and How to Address Them

Common Symptoms of Digital Vertigo to Watch Out For

According to Dr Kulkarni, here are some common signs of phone-induced vertigo that should be monitored:

• Brief spinning sensation after looking up from the phone
• Feeling ‘off balance’ or lightheaded, especially when standing suddenly
• Pressure or heaviness in the head after screen use
• Nausea or a mild sense of disorientation
• Increased sensitivity to bright lights or moving visuals

Though they may feel minor at first, repeated episodes show your balance system is under strain and might require medical or lifestyle intervention.

The Role of the Vestibular System

“Inside the inner ear are tiny fluid-filled canals with fine hair cells that tell the brain how your head is moving and positioned. When you scroll quickly or watch rapid video shifts, your eyes register motion, but the inner ear doesn’t, creating a brief confusion in the brain’s balance centre. The brain then receives two conflicting stories- one says “you’re moving,” the other says “you’re not.” This confusion can trigger vertigo-like sensations,” explains Dr Kulkarni.

Also Read: What Is Telephobia And Why It Is On The Rise Among Young Adults

How to Prevent Digital Vertigo

You don’t need to give up your, but you can train your brain to cope better. Here are some tips from a neurologist to help you prevent phone-induced vertigo:

• Take visual breaks: Every 20 minutes, look away from your screen and focus on a distant object for 20 seconds.
• Avoid lying down while scrolling: Keeping your head upright helps your inner ear maintain orientation.
• Use good lighting: Dim light amplifies eye strain and visual imbalance.
• Keep screen motion moderate: Reduce animation speed in apps and avoid long sessions of fast-moving content.
• Hydrate and sleep well: Both dehydration and sleep deprivation worsen dizziness.

When to See a Specialist

“If the dizziness doesn’t fade or comes with nausea, ear ringing, hearing loss, or unsteadiness, it’s wise to get checked by a neurologist or ENT specialist. What seems like phone-related vertigo may sometimes be the first sign of conditions such as vestibular migraine, BPPV, or an inner ear problem,” concludes Dr Kulkarni.

Final Word: A Note to the Always Online Generation

Our brains evolved to track movement in the natural world- the sway of trees, walking paths, faces. They were never meant to process hundreds of moving images a minute. We are now seeing how constant digital motion subtly reshapes attention, balance, and even sleep patterns.
Making small, regular efforts to restore your brain’s balance, like moving around, taking mindful breaks, and resting well, supports both stability and mental sharpness.