S
creen time numbers are higher for young people and higher
still during vacations and holidays. Add to that the amount
of time we spend on our other devices, like iPads and
laptops, and you are looking at an honestly uncomfortable
amount of time; the implications of which go beyond ques-
tions like: 'is a life lived through screens a life worth living?'
e amount of time we spend on our screens has real effects on our
health, which is why device-related injuries have become an epidemic.
I, myself, am writing this article on my phone while taking the A train
downtown. You know the position: hands gripped around my phone,
phone and hands placed on my lap, neck craned down, eyes glued to
Google Docs. As I li my head, my neck cracks—its subtle way of letting
me know it didn't appreciate the near-right angle it was forced into for the
last 10 minutes.
For advice on how I could avoid injuring myself any further, I spoke
with Asit Shah, MD, Chief of Orthopedic Surgery at Englewood Health;
who let me know this epidemic is less about how much time we're on our
devices and more about posture.
When you are
looking down at your
phone or computer
all day, your back
is in a permanent
state of flex and
enormous tension
is being put on your
muscles.
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