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# When Reality Gets Glitchy: Is Your Brain Lagging?
- URL: https://www.thedigitalspeaker.com/when-reality-gets-glitchy-is-your-brain-lagging/
- Published: 2025-04-14T00:11:25.000Z
- Updated: 2026-07-27T05:23:44.000Z
- Description: Are video games hacking our brains? If your reality suddenly looks pixelated, it might be more than just too much screen time.
- Author: Dr Mark van Rijmenam, CSP
- Tags: News, #seo-post-1

Are video games hacking our brains? If your reality suddenly looks pixelated, it might be more than just too much screen time.

Video gamers increasingly experience “Game Transfer Phenomenon” (GTP), where [gaming](https://www.thedigitalspeaker.com/ai-gaming-speaker/) sensations invade real life, like seeing health bars or aiming crosshairs while shopping.

Psychologist Angelica Ortiz de Gortari found over 80% of gamers experience this, with symptoms like twitching hands or distorted colors. Though mostly harmless, intense episodes cause confusion, embarrassment, or unsafe impulses, like driving recklessly after racing games.

- GTP worsens with extended play (4+ hours).
- Realistic games trigger stronger symptoms.
- Gamers rarely discuss experiences, fearing stigma.

Navigating immersive tech demands awareness As an advocate for mindful tech use, I’m fascinated by how deeply digital realities influence us. Should game developers proactively warn us about these immersive side-effects?

Read the full article on [BBC](https://www.bbc.co.uk/future/article/20250409-game-transfer-phenomenon-the-people-who-see-video-games-in-the-physical-world?ref=thedigitalspeaker.com).

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