BY: CLAIRE KIM
To the older generation, phones may seem like a troublesome distraction that minimizes critical thinking skills and face-to-face interactions. What used to be a tech-free world, is now completely the opposite with companies constantly on the run to make the most innovative devices possible. From phones to computers, to drones to wireless devices, technology has become a central part of our lives in every way possible. Especially phones.
Phones are a staple to anyone’s list of valuable items.
They bridge a lot of the discomfort we faced before their existence — such as long-distance communication — as well as giving us entertainment through games and apps provided as well.
For most people, separation from our phones is considered a difficult challenge to accomplish. Because we dedicate a large portion of our time in screen activity both at work and at home, it has virtually become impossible to live without them for more than even a week. Crouching over our phones for several hours, our necks and body tend to feel stiff after such a posture. Whether it’s a slight pain in the back of our heads or a full rush of blood throughout our bodies as we stretch, phones have impacted our body’s equilibrium and stability when online for too long.
Under this notion, some medical specialists have come to the conclusion that this phone addiction can cause serious health deficits. Most notably associated with the disk located at the back of our head, some officials remark that the positions we lay in to look over our phones have been a promising reason as to why a bone mound forms in that area. They come to this connection stating that “the growing bones of adolescents [are] more likely than those of adults to change shape or form spurs in response to increased forces” (New York Times). However, this may not be the case. Other doctors oppose this argument stating that it’s a bit of a stretch for bone growth patterns to be associated with a piece of tech as no studies have specifically proven it in the past.
As of right now, the debate between the impacts of cellphone usage to disk degeneration has been evenly debated from both sides, so it’s only science and numbers that can really confirm what argument is really correct. Hopefully, phones have no correlation at all, but who knows what the future may hold?
claire kim. 