Are we facing a physical health pandemic due to excessive phone/computer use?

DareGod

Is the developed world on track to face a pandemic over the coming decades where, due to excessive use of phones and computers, wrist/hand/muscle pain becomes a major global problem?

Repetitive strain injury. Carpal tunnel. Etc.

Any insights?

RandomName2

DareGod wrote: »

Is the developed world on track to face a pandemic over the coming decades where, due to excessive use of phones and computers, wrist/hand/muscle pain becomes a major global problem?

Or am I over-thinking it?

I think this is the book you're thinking of, OP

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cell_(novel)

Harry Palmr

Today's teenagers are not dexterous enough to operate a Spinning Jenny apparently.

Poochie05

Yes

I would wager that emotional health is the bigger issue long-term.

chicorytip

DareGod wrote:

Any insights?

Yes, postural problems.

CinemaGuy45

Oh sorry is this a serious thread or a pi*s take?

CinemaGuy45

DareGod wrote: »

Any insights?

Doubt it After Hours is not a very insightful forum.

JustAYoungLad

People are healthier than ever tbh

everything new brings with it handwringing alarmists

check their wrists for carpal tunnel maybe

Pauliedragon

DareGod wrote: »

Is the developed world on track to face a pandemic over the coming decades where, due to excessive use of phones and computers, wrist/hand/muscle pain becomes a major global problem?

Repetitive strain injury. Carpal tunnel. Etc.

Any insights?

The male side of humanity have been using their wrists excessively for generations. Mostly in the teenage years and after marriage. I'm sure that won't be an issue.

JustAYoungLad

JustAYoungLad wrote: »

People are healthier than ever tbh

you misspelled heavier

JustAYoungLad

[Deleted User] wrote: »

you misspelled heavier

Correlation but not mutual exclusivity.

techguy

I would be inclined to agree..

I for one spend an absolute shed load of time sitting at computer. My hip flexors are all over the place.

The bigger issue, as another poster has pointed out will be mental health. I think Mark Zuckerberg is meddling a little too much with the general publics psyche a little too much.

(bleh, takes off tin foil hat and runs from AH...)

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

Pandemic - why scale it down? Go for apocalypse and be she with it!

Noveight

Students in my school use tablets instead of books both in school and to do homework. Sure is a lot of screen time.

Raheem Euro

Princess Consuela Bananahammock wrote: »

Pandemic - why scale it down? Go for apocalypse and be she with it!

I think it is endemic and will reach epidemic proportions. An epi-pandemic.

techguy

Noveight wrote: »

Students in my school use tablets instead of books both in school and to do homework. Sure is a lot of screen time.

I agree.. I previously worked on an a ebook app for one of the major educational publishers... I never bought into the idea at all but kept my mouth shut and made a living.

If I ever have children I would be pretty militant about screen time in their
formative years..

Also this: (Sorry for BI article)

http://uk.businessinsider.com/silicon-valley-parents-raising-their-kids-tech-free-red-flag-2018-2

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

Raheem Euro wrote: »

I think it is endemic and will reach epidemic proportions. An epi-pandemic.

Some people just dont seem to want to make the effort...

Hammer89

DareGod wrote: »

Any insights?

Don't lick frogs.

mvl

appears as long as we don't smoke and don't go to war, we should be grand !

https://www.wired.com/story/the-key-to-a-long-life-has-little-to-do-with-good-genes/

ExMachina1000

We got a pandemic alright

ILoveYourVibes

Yes ....and no.


People are less fit and more over weight. But we live longer.

riclad

I think some people are having serious issues right now, working from home,
Not every young person has a large room they can turn into a home office,
Some people are just working from a bedroom
With a laptop on a small table.
And working by yourself every day is lonely.
It turns out some people like the social element
of going to an office, there's maybe a canteen,
you can take a break and go outside or talk to someone.
Taking zoom meetings for hours every day is
not ideal for many people.
When you work in an office you have a desk and
probably a pc and a large monitor.
I think working from home does not suit many people especially if you live by yourself in a small flat.
If you are a writer or an artist it may be fine if
you have a large space to work in
and have a real pc with a monitor.
Of course big company's can save money if they can close down some offices and just give everyone a pc or a laptop.
Using a laptop for hours every day is not good for your health. Most people in offices use a pc with a monitor.

riclad

I think some people are having serious issues right now, working from home,
Not every young person has a large room they can turn into a home office,
Some people are just working from a bedroom
With a laptop on a small table.
And working by yourself every day is lonely.
It turns out some people like the social element
of going to an office, there's maybe a canteen,
you can take a break and go outside or talk to someone.
Taking zoom meetings for hours every day is
not ideal for many people.
When you work in an office you have a desk and
probably a pc and a large monitor.
I think working from home does not suit many people especially if you live by yourself in a small flat.
If you are a writer or an artist it may be fine if
you have a large space to work in
and have a real pc with a monitor.
Of course big company's can save money if they can close down some offices and just give everyone a pc or a laptop.
Using a laptop for hours every day is not good for your health. Most people in offices use a pc with a monitor
Do schools presume every child has a laptop or a tablet with WiFi internet access?
Many rural areas have no access to broadband,
all they have is maybe a weak 3g signal on a phone

you cannot design a system of existence where "some people" wont find problems

comparisons with a notional perfection arent a lot of use in the real world

Danzy

Multiple waves.
Emotional, mental, physical health, obesity.

You name it and it's off the charts now.

Society is deeply broken, more so in many ways than when people had it really rough.

DrSerious3

riclad wrote: »

I think some people are having serious issues right now, working from home,
Not every young person has a large room they can turn into a home office,
Some people are just working from a bedroom
With a laptop on a small table.
And working by yourself every day is lonely.
It turns out some people like the social element
of going to an office, there's maybe a canteen,
you can take a break and go outside or talk to someone.
Taking zoom meetings for hours every day is
not ideal for many people.
When you work in an office you have a desk and
probably a pc and a large monitor.
I think working from home does not suit many people especially if you live by yourself in a small flat.
If you are a writer or an artist it may be fine if
you have a large space to work in
and have a real pc with a monitor.
Of course big company's can save money if they can close down some offices and just give everyone a pc or a laptop.
Using a laptop for hours every day is not good for your health. Most people in offices use a pc with a monitor
Do schools presume every child has a laptop or a tablet with WiFi internet access?
Many rural areas have no access to broadband,
all they have is maybe a weak 3g signal on a phone

You can say that again