By Chloe Hill
There are many pros and cons to the digital age. On the upside, technology has opened up so many opportunities and improved the quality of life for many people, and we can’t argue with the many conveniences that computers have afforded us. I can get a quick answer to any question by surfing the net, if I want to make a purchase I can do so without having to leave the comforts of my bedroom and I can stay connected with friends and family at the push of a button.
By now however, most of us are acutely aware of some of the downsides as well. We are continually warned of the potential ill effects of technology on our brains, psychological well-being and personal lives, some of which have yet to be determined.
As it turns out, the way you physically interact with technology has a big impact on your life as well. A few scenarios that come to mind include radiation effects from cell phone usage and texting while driving.
However, there is something else that you may not have considered.
Your appearance.
According to dermatologists and cosmetic surgeons the way we interact with mobile devices is speeding up the aging process. We often gaze down to look at our cell phones, laptops and tablets. If you’ve ever been in a subway car, train or airplane, on display are a sea of people bending their heads to look at their cell phones. Work places and cafes are full of people slouching down to look at their laptops and tablets. This body positioning can lead to chronic problems with your neck, shoulders and back – a new epidemic known as text neck. Gazing downward also hastens the impact of gravity and loss of the skin’s elasticity resulting in premature aging. Some of the signs of this include sagging jowls, and deeper wrinkle lines on the neck and around the mouth.
Says Dr. Christopher Rowland Payne, a consultant dermatologist at The London Clinic, “The problem of wrinkles and sagging of the jowls and neck used to begin in late middle age but, in the last 10 years, because of ‘tech neck’, it has become a problem for a generation of younger women“.
However, there are ways to combat this problem. Make sure to hold your mobile device up at eye level or instead of bending the head down, lower your eyes to view the electronic display instead. If you can lay down, that can be a more comfortable position to hold up your tablet or iPhone at eye-level. The important thing is to keep your head in the neutral, face forward position.
The Hypnap TruRest helps you avoid this problem as well. We’ve incorporated a mobile device stand feature to the TruRest so that you can view your mobile devices in the healthier, more comfortable eye-level position. Your arms won’t tire this way either!
Simply place your tablet on the shelves that swing down from the bottom of the TruRest’s face plate and use the clips at the top of the face plate to secure your tablet.
Adjust to your desired height, angle and proximity by using the TruRest adjustment features.
There are enough things in this world to speed up the aging process. Don’t let technology be one of them!