Is your PC killing you?

Posted on 7 May 2009 at 16:33

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Benedyk discovered that 57 per cent of students she surveyed had experienced discomfort as a result of their laptop use, with seven per cent experiencing pain for prolonged periods. The most prevalent pains were in the neck (21 per cent), shoulders (21 per cent), wrists (16 per cent), back (15 per cent), and eyes (11 per cent). According to UCL researchers, the findings mirror evidence from research into arcade and handheld video game use, which reveals that a large proportion of youngsters already exhibit pre-symptoms of RSI.

Early diagnosis of such pre-symptoms is vital, as they are often reversible and shouldn't lead to long-term damage. The danger occurs when these warning signs are ignored, as Benedyk warns: "There are people with work-related upper limb disorders who have had to take medical retirement from work, so [RSI] can be debilitating. Some people with severe RSI can't use door handles or taps or hold a pen."

Rule of Thumb

The increasing popularity of handheld devices with small keyboards is also thought to exacerbate the problem. Nigel Heaton, director of workplace safety consultant Human Applications, says, "Basic human anatomy has altered little in the last 2,000 years, and we have a physiology that has not been designed with reading, writing, typing or using a mouse in mind. Any interaction that fails to recognise these design limitations might challenge some people."

Smaller, more intricate input devices put even more strain on digits than computer keyboards and can lead to eye strain, too.

"BlackBerry handsets and other smartphones all work with thumbs in a way that's natural - thumbs are usually used in opposition to the fingers to grip things. But with data input, we're asking them to do much more detailed work," says Tom Stewart, managing director of System Concepts. "This can cause long-lasting damage to tendons, nerves and joints."

Perhaps the most frightening aspect of this potential physical damage is the fact that we really don't know what the long-term effects could be. Laptops, mobiles and games consoles are all relatively recent innovations.

"What does worry me is the prolific growth in interactive devices that people use in all aspects of their lives," says UCL's Rachel Benedyk. "Limiting young children to only a couple of hours of screen time is becoming very challenging, and they are storing up problems for the future. These types of injury build up over time."

Berry stressed

Email-capable smartphones are well known for being one way for employers to make staff work longer hours (not that some staff need any encouragement - the term 'crackberry' didn't arise out of nowhere). This gradual erosion of the division between work and non-work hours is putting some employees under additional stress, particularly since there can be pressure to reply to emails as soon as they arrive.

"BlackBerry use allows for increased communication during down time, and a reduction of moment-to-moment stress," says a report by Melissa Mazmanian of the MIT Sloan School of Management. "[However] expectations of responsiveness have intensified and become taken for granted. Users report an unrelenting desire for information and a drive to monitor incoming messages, which they explain as a need to reduce their anxiety of being disconnected.

"Such stress is amplified (and possibly created) because constant connection is possible. If a work-life balance is important to your health then replying to work emails during the weekend can only be detrimental."