According to scientists, using your smartphones while walking is significantly changing the way you move. Researchers from the University of Delaware (UD) placed reflective markers on 22 volunteers and asked them to walk on a treadmill. When they were asked to dial a number, they started to walk strangely, as if expecting to trip over something.
Dual Tasking Of Text-Walkers
As reported by The Telegraph, the problem of text-walkers has become such a problem that last year Antwerp in Belgium brought in ‘text-walking lanes’ so that they do not irritate or endanger other pedestrians.“Dual tasking resulted in increased stride width in our participants,” said Kelly Seymour, a researcher from UD.
Seymour and other scientists also noted that dual tasking resulted in increased stride width in their participants. This may represent compensation for a feeling of instability during dual task walking by increasing the base of support. Here are some other ailments associated with intensive mobile phone usage, as reported by The Guardian.
Text Claw Or Soreness And Cramping Of Fingers
It may appear like an evolutionary advance approach resulting in a bird-of-prey clutches perfect for playing Pokémon GO, but is in fact soreness and cramping in the fingers, wrist and forearm resulting in repetitive motor activity. Note that anyone who’s spent enough time on a cell phone can likely attest to feelings of soreness and cramping in the fingers
According to HuffPost, Aaron Daluiski, M.D., chief of the Hand and Upper Extremity Service at New York-Presbyterian Hospital explains that there’s no specific diagnosis arises from people using technology devices. “If you were to be shucking corn or rolling cigars or anything else, it would probably be the same,” he added.
Text Neck
This ailment is also known as iPosture. Text neck is the pain feels when you are looking down at your devices. Our heads weigh 10 to 12lbs and angling them downward or forward for a long period of time puts a strain on the spine. According to a report from 2014, text neck is becoming an epidemic and could lead to permanent damage.
Screen-sightedness
Opticians have warned people that gadget overuse may lead to long-term eye damage. Dry eyes, headaches and an increase in myopia have all been linked to sustained periods spent on handheld gadgets. Nearsightedness, or myopia, is the most common refractive error of the eye, and it has become more prevalent in recent years.
These are just three of the many ailments that you can get when you continue doing what supposed to be stop. From the researchers point of view, it turns out that walking while using our phones is changing the way people move. As early as now, it is a very good way to start preventing phone walking. Stop when you need to use your mobile.
