WHAT TECHNOLOGY IS DOING TO YOUR BODY
In the 21st century, our dependency on technology has never been more apparent. A vast majority of Americans own a device that is 32 thousand times faster than the computer that completed the first trip to the moon back in the 1960’s. With that much power, it shouldn’t come as a surprise how reliant we’ve become on these devices. We can video chat with our friends and family, access unlimited amount of information and even order groceries and have them at our doorstep within two hours.
The average American spends over five hours per day on their mobile device and that kind of extended use can take a serious toll on our bodies, especially when we tilt our necks to look at our devices.
A few years back medical experts coined the term “Text Neck” to describe the medical diagnosis for neck pain that arises from prolonged use of our smartphones. Text neck is defined as an overuse syndrome involving the head, neck, and shoulders. It is usually the result of excessive strain on the spine from looking in a forward and downward position. It’s not only adults that are suffering from text neck. Even children are showing signs of arthritis resulting from text neck.
To put things in perspective, when you’re texting with your head downward, the strain on your neck in this position is equivalent to having a 7-year-old hanging from your neck. Now imagine having a 7-year-old on your neck for 5 hours per day. No wonder we’re experiencing an epidemic of neck, upper back, and shoulder discomfort!