Text Neck, More Technology, Less Health?

Abstract

The term text neck or neck of text is a term introduced by Dr Dean Firhsman [1] and that has taken force little by little, and is described as the result of the excessive use of the mobile, typical of those who keep their heads too long downward and forward to see your cell phone. The repetition and constancy of this position can generate a permanent injury, whose main cause is the weight of the head.

According to the study “Evaluation of tensions in the cervical spine and posture caused by the position of the head” published by the surgeon Kenneth Hansraj, our head weighs between 4.5 and 5.5 kg. However, depending on the angle you are in, the effective weight increases. That is, if the head is at 15 °, the effective weight, which falls on the neck reaches 12.25 kg, this is the case when handling a mobile device (Smartphone, Tablet, among others). Typical symptoms are headache, pain in shoulders and neck [2].

Likewise. In Colombia in 2015, a survey conducted by Deloitte was applied, where issues related to the types of devices that are possessed, connectivity and usage trends were addressed. It was answered by a thousand people, men and women between the ages of 16 and 44, including people from the rural and urban sectors. With this in mind, we set out to investigate the effects of the excessive use of these mobile devices on young people.