Report: Overuse of smartphone, tablet, and laptop devices pose health risks
Many are unaware of the risks associated with the overuse of modern-day mobile devices
According to the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy, using your smartphone, tablet, and laptop could pose a serious risk to your health.
Using devices like a smartphone could pose a risk to your health. (Via: gadgetmasala.com)
The group is the professional, educational, and trade union body for the U.K.’s Chartered Physiotherapists, physiotherapy assistants, and students. In their report, they state that workers are risking their health by continuing to work on mobile devices after leaving the office.
The report says that this is of significant concern because most users are unaware of the poor posture they take on when using these various modern-day gadgets and gizmos that, in turn, often leads to back and neck pain.
Study
The Chartered Society of Physiotherapy conducted an online survey of 2,010 U.K.-based office workers, whereupon they found that close to two-thirds (64%) of those who responded admitted to continuing their work outside of the company’s normal office hours.
More specifically, the report stated that people were ending their work day with two hours and 18 minutes of extra screen-time at home . . . every day of the week.
Additional data showed that the two most common reasons on why workers needed to spend extra hours performing work-related duties came from having too much work at the office, and the need to find a way to ease the pressure of having to perform at work.
Translation: It’s easier to do things from home, where you can work at your own pace and not have someone breathing down your neck to get the job done.
If you’re going to spend the extra hours working at home, pace yourself and be aware of your posture.
Dr. Helena Johnson, chairwoman of the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy, admitted that her organization’s findings were of “huge concern to physiotherapists, who see the consequences of poor posture and bad working practices each day.” She said, “While doing a bit of extra work at home may seem like a good short-term fix, if it becomes a regular part of your evening routine then it can lead to problems such as back and neck pain, as well as stress-related illness.”
Dr. Johnson added, “This is especially the case if you’re using handheld devices and not thinking about your posture. Talk to your employer if you are feeling under pressure.”
In an interview with the BBC, Brendan Barber, the general secretary of the Trades Union Congress, said, “Excessive work levels are not good for anyone. Overworked employees are not only unlikely to be performing well at work, the stress an unmanageable workload causes is also likely to be making them ill.”
Barber adds, “By the time someone is so overloaded they constantly feel the need to put in extra hours every night of the week at home, things have clearly got out of hand.”
He concludes with this take-away: “Individuals who find themselves unable to leave their work in the office should talk to their managers and learn to switch off their smartphones.” ■
Story via: CSP.org.uk
Brendan Barber quotes via: BBC.co.uk
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