When Can I Use Screens After a Concussion?
“Should I avoid screens after a concussion?”
It’s one of the most common questions we hear.
The short answer?
Early on, reducing recreational screen time can be helpful. But the long-term goal isn’t to avoid screens. It’s to gradually learn how to tolerate them again.
And there’s an important reason for that:
Screen time isn’t one thing.
Checking a text message, working on a computer, scrolling social media, watching a movie and playing a competitive video game may all involve looking at a screen—but they can place very different demands on your brain.
Understanding those differences can make returning to screens after a concussion much more manageable.
Should I Avoid Screens After a Concussion?
During the first 24–48 hours after a concussion, we generally recommend significantly reducing recreational screen use.
That doesn’t necessarily mean sitting in a dark room with absolutely no screens.
It means giving your brain an opportunity to recover from the initial injury while limiting activities that significantly increase symptoms.
After that early period, however, the conversation changes.
Instead of asking:
“How long should I avoid screens?”
We want to start asking:
“How can I gradually return to screens without overwhelming my system?”
That distinction matters because screens are part of everyday life.
We use them for work.
School.
Communication.
Entertainment.
Appointments.
Social connection.
Eventually, concussion recovery has to include returning to those activities.
Why Do Screens Make Me Feel Worse After a Concussion?
Looking at a screen may seem simple.
Your brain disagrees.
Using a screen can require several systems to work together at the same time.
Your eyes have to move across the screen. They have to focus at a specific distance. Your brain has to process visual information, movement, contrast and light while simultaneously maintaining attention and understanding what you’re seeing.
Add scrolling, reading, typing, notifications, sound or rapid visual changes and the demand increases even further.
After a concussion, some of those systems may not tolerate their usual workload as well.
That can contribute to symptoms such as:
- Headache
- Dizziness
- Eye strain
- Nausea
- Blurred vision
- Difficulty concentrating
- Fatigue
- Feeling overwhelmed
That’s also why someone might say:
“I can walk around my house without a problem, but 20 minutes on my laptop wipes me out.”
Those activities are asking different things from the brain.
Are All Screens the Same After a Concussion?
No.
This is one of the biggest misconceptions about screen time after concussion.
Screen time isn’t just about how many minutes you spend looking at a device. The type of activity matters.
Reading a short text message isn’t necessarily equivalent to scrolling rapidly through social media.
Watching a slow-paced television show isn’t necessarily equivalent to watching a fast-moving action movie.
Playing a puzzle game isn’t necessarily equivalent to playing a competitive online first-person shooter.
Instead of thinking only about screen time, it can be more useful to think about screen demand.
Why Can Phones Be Difficult After a Concussion?
Phones create a unique challenge because we use them constantly.
Small text can increase visual demand. Rapid scrolling creates continuous visual movement. Notifications compete for attention. Social media encourages us to keep consuming new information.
But there’s another problem:
Your phone may be stealing your breaks.
Imagine working on a computer for 30 minutes and deciding you need a break.
You lean back, grab your phone and start scrolling.
Technically, you stopped working.
But did your visual system actually get a break?
Not necessarily.
Your eyes are still moving.
You’re still processing information.
You’re still focusing on a screen.
You’re still responding to visual stimulation.
Changing screens isn’t always the same thing as taking a break.
Sometimes the most useful thing you can do is put the device down entirely for a few minutes.
Can I Play Video Games After a Concussion?
Video games can be particularly demanding because they may combine visual motion, reaction time, attention, decision-making, sound and coordination.
But again:
Not every game is equally difficult.
Competitive online games can be especially challenging because they require rapid decisions and reactions while giving you very few natural opportunities to pause.
Single-player first-person games may remove the competitive pressure but can still contain rapid movement and visual stimulation.
Slower-paced games and puzzle games may be easier to tolerate.
When returning to gaming, consider starting with a less demanding game and shorter sessions.
A practical starting point may be 20–30 minutes followed by a real break, rather than immediately returning to long gaming sessions.
Early in recovery, be especially careful about pushing through symptoms simply because you’re enjoying the activity.
Can I Watch TV or Movies After a Concussion?
Yes, but what you’re watching matters.
A television screen may seem passive compared with a computer or video game, but your brain is still processing everything happening in front of you.
Consider the difference between:
A quiet, slow-paced television show.
And:
A two-hour action movie filled with explosions, rapid camera movement, flashing lights, loud noises and constant scene changes.
Both are technically “watching TV.”
The demand isn’t remotely identical.
Sports can also create significant visual demands because you’re following players, tracking a ball, processing camera movement, watching graphics and responding to a constantly changing visual environment.
If one program bothers you while another doesn’t, that doesn’t necessarily mean your symptoms are unpredictable.
The demand may have changed.
How Long Should I Use a Screen After a Concussion?
There isn’t one perfect number for everyone.
A useful strategy is to start with manageable intervals rather than waiting until symptoms become overwhelming.
For example:
Use the screen for 20–30 minutes.
Then take a 3–5 minute actual break.
Not another screen.
Step away.
Close your eyes.
Move around.
Get some water.
Use your symptom-reducing strategies.
Then evaluate how you feel before returning.
As tolerance improves, those intervals can gradually increase.
The important part isn’t proving that you can endure symptoms.
It’s learning how much demand you can currently tolerate and progressively building from there.
What If My Symptoms Increase?
Some symptom increase during recovery doesn’t automatically mean you’ve injured your brain again.
We often tell our patients:
Symptoms aren’t damage. They’re feedback.
They’re information about how your system is responding to a particular demand.
If symptoms begin increasing, reduce the demand.
Take a break.
Allow symptoms to settle.
Then adjust the activity when you return.
Maybe that means shortening the session.
Maybe it means reducing brightness.
Maybe it means changing the type of content.
Maybe it means using one monitor instead of two.
Maybe it means increasing text size or reducing scrolling.
The goal isn’t simply to push through.
It’s to work, monitor, adjust and gradually progress.
So, When Can I Use Screens After a Concussion?
For most people, the answer shouldn’t be based on an arbitrary date.
During the first 24–48 hours, significantly reducing recreational screen exposure can be appropriate.
After that, screens can generally begin to be gradually reintroduced based on symptoms, tolerance and the demands of the activity.
Remember:
Start small.
Choose lower-demand activities first.
Modify your environment.
Take real breaks.
Monitor symptoms.
Gradually build tolerance.
Because becoming great at avoiding screens isn’t the goal of concussion recovery.
Getting back to school is.
Getting back to work is.
Talking to your friends is.
Watching the game is.
Enjoying a movie is.
Playing your favorite game is.
Getting back to life is the goal.
Still Struggling With Screens After a Concussion?
If screens continue to cause significant headaches, dizziness, nausea, eye strain or other symptoms, there may be specific visual, vestibular, cervical or other factors contributing to what you’re experiencing.
Midwest Concussion Clinic provides 100% virtual concussion evaluation and rehabilitation for patients of all ages.
Making the Invisible Visible.
