Technology is deeply ingrained in the daily lives of most Americans, but consistent electronics use can have a negative effect on health. Octa, a Denver-based design firm that creates mobile mounting solutions, is equipping consumers with adaptable tablet accessories and providing valuable insights on ways they can improve their “tech health.”
A new condition known as “tech neck” – an unhealthy posture that results from looking down at and hunching over smartphones and tablets – is escalating as people spend more time on their mobile devices.
“People are constantly engaged with mobile technology,” Nikki Braziel, co-founder and COO of Octa, said. “They’re texting while walking; browsing while waiting; twisting their bodies in unhealthy and uncomfortable ways to accommodate their tablets, and that can actually create long-term damage. Octa’s solutions provide comfort and convenience, so you’ll get more from your tablet while caring for your own well-being.”
ABC News recently covered the rise of tech neck where Dr. Harold Lancer, a dermatologist in Beverly Hills, said that tech use is also causing sagging of the skin around the neck.
“Anything that’s electronic captures your attention and you have to bend your neck, you’re just ruining the neck muscles,” Lancer told “Good Morning America. “If you’re always looking down, those wires are loose, they’re not toned. So the muscles are loose, the skin on top of the muscles are loose. It gets all crinkly and wrinkly, and it looks bad,” he said.
Seeking to improve “tech neck,” Octa has developed two new tablet accessories, the Spider Monkey and Lynx, to conveniently position any device at eye-level, offering a comfortable viewing solution for any environment. Technology enthusiasts can now avoid the consequences of “tech neck,” which include spinal misalignment, muscle and nerve damage and decreased muscle strength – also leading to wrinkles and saggy neck skin.
In addition to enhancing the user experience with its functional line of tablet accessories, Octa has rounded up the following helpful tips for other cases in which technology is affecting consumer health:
- Ever heard of “Blackberry Thumb?” This occurs when users constantly text or type on devices, leading to tendinitis. Instead, use the voice command features on smartphones or tablets to create messages. When typing on keyboards, keep your wrists positioned parallel to the floor to avoid hand cramping.
- Blue light from cell phones and tablets can cause eye strain and fatigue during the day, and keep you up at night. Reduce the light settings on screens or invert your screen colors, using three clicks on the home button on an iPhone or iPad. Keep electronics at bay for an hour or two before nodding off to sleep.
- A study by the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine found that the surface of one in six handsets contained potentially harmful bacteria. Clean your screen often with antibacterial wipes and be sure to wash your hands before touching mobile devices.
By keeping these simple facts in mind, and by using tablet mounts to help support technology, users will be on their way to a more “tech healthy” lifestyle. For more information on Octa and its helpful line of products, please visit www.octa.com.
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