How my love for Candy Crush made me sick

After reaching level 1,152 of Candy Crush, I have officially called it quits. Its been years in the making and I'm sad to see this friendship come to a stomach-churning end, but after it led me to a near-vomit experience at work, I now know it's time to say goodbye.

Last week, I experienced spells of extreme dizziness and nausea two days in a row, feeling as if I was about to faint - only ever encountering these extreme feelings of displacement and discomfort from vertigo. Unsure of the source of this uneasy feeling, I was determined to find a fix. The first day it happened, I attributed it to dehydration. To my dismay, drinking gallons the next day did not prevent it from happening again. It was not until the day after when I realized the commonality between these two incidents: Candy Crush. Each time this feeling had arisen, I was on a roll, beating one Candy Crash level after the next. I thought this was a silly explanation, merely a coincidence at best. However, after doing some research I found out I am not the only victim of "cybersickness".

As it turns out, strained eyes and severe headaches are not the only effects staring at a screen or playing video games can have on you. For people prone to motion sickness (like myself), it can lead to extreme feelings of dizziness and nausea. Our brains and bodies become confused, knowing we're taking part in a series of movements, without actually moving our physical selves. Unfortunately in 2019, it is hard to make it through the day without using a screen. Take it from me, if you're one of those people who gets nauseous on long bumpy car rides, limiting the use of virtual realities, most commonly video games, can be your first step to preventing any more cases of cybersickness.

The more you know, eh?!