You’re probably looking at your phone right now reading this article, not realizing that you could be putting upwards of 30 pounds of weight on your neck. Your neck slowly hangs lower the longer you stare at your phone while scrolling through Instagram or taking a quiz on Buzzfeed. This condition is called “Text Neck”. Text Neck is becoming much more common as we put more pressure onto our necks by looking down at our phones. 

Nowadays we are always on our phones. On average, teenagers spend eight hours a day on their phone. Phones have a world of information, but they can end up hurting teens for the future. The more someone angles their neck while pushing it outward (the common position when staring at a mobile device), the more weight they put on your neck or cervical spine. For instance, a 15-degree angle is about 30 pounds, a 30-degree angle is about 40 pounds, a 45-degree angle is about 50 pounds, and a 60-degree angle is about 60 pounds of weight on the neck. This can cause irreversible damage to the spine and may even cause premature Kyphosis (hunchback), especially to teenagers and children as their bodies continue to develop.  

Around 90 percent of American adults and 80 percent of teenagers own a cellphone, so this issue must be addressed with deliberate speed. A few ways to prevent text neck include: raising one’s phone (and make it a habit), standing up straight (fix posture), take time away from the phone, and regular exercise. For more information go to: https://health.clevelandclinic.org /text-neck-is-smartphone-use-causing-your-neck-pain/.