I heard about a condition recently called “text neck”. Recognized as a growing problem, doctors and chiropractors say people hunched over their mobile gadgets are developing neck strain, headaches, pain in the shoulders, and sometimes even the arms and hands. As ridiculous as it sounds, text neck is not a new condition, but it is getting a lot more attention than it used to because so many people are suffering from it. Doctors used to call it forward head posture, but because of the increased incidence, text neck is what it is commonly referred to.
I am one of the millions of people today that frequently hunch over a mobile gadget, and until recently, I didn’t realize how bad it had gotten. I have an iPhone that’s in my hand or pocket practically all the time. An iPad where I download apps and books by the gig. I also have a laptop that I use all the time on my lap. I get text messages, tweets, and news updates regularly, and my little phone beeps, chimes, and lights up all hours of the day and night.
Just recently, I started noticing that neck is hurting, a LOT, and my head is hanging a little lower by default, even when I don’t have an iSomething in my hands or on my lap. You guessed it, I have text neck.
In addition to calling a chiropractor and massage therapist and scheduling appointments, I took a very hard look at the cause…my beloved iSomethings. It doesn’t matter how many times I go see the chiropractor and the massage therapist, if I don’t do something about the underlying cause, text neck could very easily become my new thing.
Going outside to enjoy the beautiful winter weather we’ve been having doesn’t count if I have an iSomething in my hands. Taking a walk doesn’t count if I’m answering text messages on the greenways trail. And it’s hard to enjoy the sunset on my drive home if I am answering messages or checking the weather on my phone at stoplights (no I don’t text and drive).
I need to hold my head high, and once again, look life in the eye.
While constant connectivity can be a blessing, it can also be a curse. Personally I know that I have missed a lot of things that used to make me smile. Birds – you know, the real ones that fly around – used to hold my attention, but now I default to tweets. A coffee date or phone call with a friend used to help keep me up to speed on their lives, and now it has been replaced with text messaging and Facebook updates. And I know I’m not alone. Walk into any restaurant in any city and you will see tables filled with people not talking to each other, but totally engrossed in conversations on their smartphones.
There has to be a balance.
My son recently had his iPhone stolen, and get this, he doesn’t miss it! At all! He’s 21 years old, and doesn’t miss it! He has a phone, very, very basic phone, that makes and receives calls, and he can text to a point. He leaves home without his phone all the time too. Gary, does that too, leaves home without his iPhone all the time. He takes walks with nothing to entertain him but the view and the breeze, and enjoys it! They inspire me. They take the time to enjoy life, and look it right in the eye.
That being said, I’m not going to go all crazy, pitch my iSomethings, and go back to snail mail and a land line, because I really, really LIKE connectivity, and am the biggest girl geek ever when it comes to technology. But I get it, I need to focus on life too. I didn’t become a gadget-a-holic overnight, and I’m not going to be able to be all disconnected overnight either. I’m just going to make a series of slow, methodical changes to get back into life.
I’ve turned the push notifications off on my phone, which has cut the little beeps, chimes, and lights down to practically nothing. I’ve disabled professional emails from my phone too, if it’s business, I’ll answer it from my desk. And the last friend that sent me a text, I called back instead of texting and set a lunch date. Baby steps.
Every little change will make it easier to hold my head high, look life in the eye, and make the most of what’s happening in the actual world.
How’s your balance?
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