“Technology neck” is a silent threat to the “Alpha” generation… and the reason is the sitting position in front of smart screens

Public and private schools decided to ban the use of smartphones and tablets inside school buses, after observing the spread of a bent neck position (“technology neck disease”) among students, due to excessive and incorrect use of smartphones and tablets. They called on the students’ families to monitor their children, deal seriously with the matter, and obtain medical advice, while doctors warned that “technology neck disease” or “phone neck disease,” due to incorrect posture, threatens the health of the spine and can lead to multiple health problems in the long term.

“Technology neck” or “phone neck” is a posture disorder that occurs as a result of excessive load on the spine, due to the position in which the head is constantly tilted forward. This excessive load causes tension and pain in the neck muscles, and deformation of the spinal discs over time.

In detail, the parents of students received warning letters from their children’s schools regarding the students’ use of phones and tablets for long periods and in the wrong sitting position, which resulted in the appearance of many indicators of neck curvature among the students, which, with continued wrong practices, may lead to chronic and continuous bending, and cause them severe neck pain, and deformity of the spine and the general shape of the body.

8 steps

Schools were advised to apply eight steps to limit the use of digital devices, including: pre-planning the schedule of daily activities, downloading content control applications, determining a list of things that children want to do and involving them in the planning, determining the rules for using digital devices, adhering to the specific rules, dividing the time of using digital devices into short periods, assessing feelings and gains from use, and determining a framework of accountability in the event that the child does not adhere to the rules of use.

School buses

Educators told Emirates Today that schools sent messages to families urging them to observe their children while they are at home, correct their sitting position, and not allow them to use phones and tablets for long periods, and try to replace them with movement activities and physical exercises, noting that the decision to ban the use of phones inside the school environment will be extended in the second semester to include school buses as well, after it was monitored that students exploit the time they spend inside the bus to and from school looking at phone screens and smart devices, and in a sitting position that leads to To neck curvature.

“phone neck”

Doctors attributed the causes of “technology neck” or “phone neck,” which results from prolonged use of smart phones and screens, with the wrong sitting position, to excessive use of the mobile phone and poor practice of neck exercises, as these factors over time cause a negative effect on the neck muscles and spine, leading to technology-related cervical pain syndrome, noting that its symptoms include the symptoms of “technology neck,” which are: recurring headaches, pain in both the neck and shoulders, and numbness or numbness in the hands, And lower back pain.

The consultant orthopedic surgeon at Burjeel Medical City, Muhammad Abdel Ghaffar Al-Baz, explained that “technology neck” disease, or “phone neck,” has become a modern-day disease for the Alpha generation, and it is a condition that occurs due to the excessive use of smart phones and tablets, which causes the head and neck to bend forward, resulting in the child suffering from neck and back pain due to sitting and bending the head for a long time, while watching and playing, and the radical solution is to fight this disease, by not exaggerating the use of screens. Smart.

Al-Baz pointed out that the bending resulting from sitting in an incorrect position for long periods in front of phones and smart screens places a large load on the spine of the neck, and leads to muscle fatigue, pain in the neck and shoulders, and neck stiffness. He warned that the harms of “technology neck” disease are much more than just a simple problem in the neck, as constantly bending the head forward and keeping the shoulders down disrupts the natural alignment of the body, and causes problems in the back, shoulders, and neck.

Al-Baz advised parents of students to reduce the time their children use electronic devices, correct body posture, raise screens to eye level to reduce the angle of neck bending, and urge them to exercise to help combat this syndrome.

Postural disorders

Consultant orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Ahmed Bahaa Mousa, confirmed that “technology neck” disease is a disorder of the musculoskeletal system resulting from the influence of technological devices widely used in the modern era, and it occurs due to postural disorders resulting from prolonged use of devices, such as: computers, smart phones, and smart tablets, which can cause spasm in the neck muscles, and pain and stiffness in the long term, and this may cause chronic pain in the neck area.

Musa said: “The neck supports the head, which weighs between four and five kilograms, and as the head tilts forward, this weight doubles, reaching 20-25 kilograms, and staying in this position for a long time can cause structural problems in the body, so posture disorders are one of the results of (technology neck) syndrome.”

He warned that excessive use of phones and tablets at an early age could negatively affect the development of children’s spines, causing “phone neck” syndrome. He pointed out that if the condition is noticed early and preventive measures are taken, it can be cured, but if it is neglected, it may become a chronic condition that leads to permanent postural disorders.

Musa recommended practicing neck extension exercises, opening the shoulders, strengthening the back muscles, and posture correction movements, because they are very beneficial, as he put it.

Straight neck

Their opinion was supported by family medicine consultant, Dr. Adel Sajwani, stressing that the neck position due to the phone, which is called “phone neck,” or “technology neck,” has become a very dangerous issue, as this condition previously appeared for some people in jobs that require exercises or specific positions for a long period without moving the neck, but now it has become widespread among children and teenagers, as a result of the long and incorrect use of phones and tablets for long periods.

Sajwani said: “The neck consists of muscles and bones, and the muscles include two areas through which they are connected to the body, and the neck needs stretching exercises in order for the muscle to lengthen, but when a person stays for a long time in a specific position, the muscle contracts, and this causes, over time, a contraction of the place where the muscle is connected, which leads to great pressure on both the muscle and the bone itself, resulting in what is called (the neck of technology).”

He added: “When an

The 10-minute rule

Sajwani said: “The use of technology must coincide with the application of the 10-minute rule, for performing neck and body stretching exercises, so that the child or young person takes a two-minute break to do exercises every 10 minutes, using the phone or iPad, in addition to moving from time to time.”

Sajwani stressed that prevention is the basis, because contracting this disease could lead to vertebral replacement surgeries in the future, due to the resulting major medical problems.

Statistics

In the same context, a survey on digital use conducted by New York University Abu Dhabi, with support from the Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority, and in which more than 10,000 parents participated, showed that 86% of young children in the Emirates use digital media regularly, with use rising to 97% among children between the ages of five and eight years, and that 70% of parents feel satisfied with the amount of time their children spend using digital media.

Meanwhile, statistics issued by the UAE Cybersecurity Council showed that 72% of children between eight and 12 years old use smartphones daily, while only 43% of parents regularly review their children’s digital activity, while 42% of them confirm their need to better manage their children’s smartphone use time. An 18% increase in cases of cyberbullying among children was also observed.

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Physical and psychological damage

Doctors have confirmed that tilting the head downward while using mobile phones and tablets puts pressure on the spine, amounting to between 15 and 20% of the person’s weight on the neck, which causes several health problems, most notably severe pain in the back and neck. They warn that the harms of excessive use of smart screens do not stop at the “technology neck,” but rather cause increased rates of eye diseases, poor vision, unhealthy weight gain, sleep disturbance in children, headaches, difficulty concentrating, and curvature of the spine. Tendency to hunching, muscle tension, fatigue, and restricted movement.

They pointed out that the dangers of smart screens do not depend only on physical damage, but also include serious psychological damage, including isolation, introversion, and lack of social communication, stimulating aggressive behavior in children, decreased ability to withstand emotional resilience, decreased self-confidence in girls, and decreased feelings of calm, stability, and empathy in boys. Medical and social studies have also confirmed that whenever a child acquires a smartphone at an age younger than 13 years, his psychological health will be worse.

• 97% of children in the UAE use digital media regularly.