5.9-The average time most young people spend in front of a TV/computer screen, behind an x-box console, or typing at the speed of lightning on their smartphones or tablets. This is terrifying seeing that the “recommended amount” is two hours (despite the fact that most people work an 8 hour day, and are forced to sit for the duration of the working day).
Brian Hammond, chairman of BackCare, a non-profit health advocacy group in the UK calls it iPosture- poor posture while using digital devices. Hammond said that 18-24 year olds are more likely to spend their screen time hunched over a mobile device while sitting on a couch, with little consideration to proper posture.
According to the BCA (British Chiropractic Association), many chiropractors has seen the shocking change in their patient base, more and more being of a much younger generation. According to a study done by the BCA 68% of the people said their back or neck pain affected their ability to sleep and exercise, while 22% said it had an impact on their social activities. This opens up a whole new can of worms like being tired during most of the day, which leads to even less physical activity and resulting in other myosketeltal problems… to be frank, the cycle is ongoing.
Interestingly enough, more than 39% of these young people stated that they haven’t visited a doctor to address the problem. Seeking early treatment from a chiropractor could relieve pain as well as counter the symptoms by treating the cause before it turns into chronic pain in future.
A little tip…OK so it’s not realistic to get rid of the devices which causes these problems, but we could use it to our advantage. Set a 15 minute alarm on your phone to check your posture. Put it on vibrate so it doesn’t disturb anyone
