Yes, it’s true. Electronics are impacting your body negatively. We all know that, but let’s get into the details a little more to increase your awareness of what exactly is going down when you are using electronic devices.
EYE FATIGUE
When using devices, your eyes undergo quite a bit of train. There are six primary muscles that control eye movement and if you use them for too long, they also get tired like other muscles in the body. Applying the 20-20-20 Rule can help reduce eye strain. This rule suggests that every 20 minutes, you look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds. 20 seconds is the amount of time it takes for these muscles to relax. Make sure to close your eyes to increase hydration during this time as well!
WORSENING POSTURE
Without a doubt, phone and computer use is working against your posture. It creates a foreword head posture which is when the chin jets out and forward from your body. It also reduces the natural curvature in our low back, making it “flatter” over time and increases the curvature in our mid and upper back, making it “rounder” over time. To avoid the “hunchback'“ look, practice a postural correction. Lift your chest up enough so that your chin is over your chest (ear in line with shoulder). Practice holding this for 5 minutes/time to start.
Here are some great resources discussing posture
SPINE STIFFNESS
As mentioned in #2, your spine is greatly impacted by the prolonged positions we hold when using electronic devices. To improve spine health during use, make sure to regularly practice the postural correction. Consider a seated cat cow while sitting to improve and maintain spine mobility. To do this, think of the cat cow on your hands and knees. Curve your spine with your arms forward while you breath out. Reverse and arch your back as you breath in. 5 times.
WEAKNESS
Your devices are making you weaker over time, no doubt. Have you heard of upper crossed body syndrome? This is the concept that your chest and the back of the neck get tight. That’s one diagonal of the "cross”. The other “cross” is the concept that the front of your neck and middle of your back get weak. Again, the postural correction can help with this. Make sure to target these weak and tight areas by regularly strengthening and stretching them when you can.
HAND, FINGER, WRIST, and ELBOW REPETITIVE STRAIN
Devises frequently cause upper body repetitive strain injuries (RSI’s). Repetitive strain injuries include things like tendinopathies and carpal tunnel. To prevent repetitive strain injuries, make sure you move your body at least every 30 minutes. Every 30 minutes take a break for 30 seconds. Simply taking your elbows off your desk and shaking them out could be enough to significantly prevent an RSI.
If you want to learn more about how your electronic devices are impacting your body specifically, checking in with a physical therapist can help prevent these things mentioned. There are many other ways that electronic devices effect our body that is not mentioned here. Chat with a physical therapist to learn more!