The impact of technology on our lives is a hot topic right now, with the majority of our communication and business taking place online. It is estimated that adults today spend an average of 10 hours looking at screens every single day, a statistic that sounds incredulous, yet resonates with truth. Our multiple devices make it possible to work, play, socialise, and be entertained from anywhere in the world. They range from phones (4.88 billion users) to laptops, tablets, and smartwatches. Over the past year these devices have enabled businesses to adapt and thrive, as well as keeping family and friends connected in the most challenging of circumstances. Most of us could not fathom surviving another lockdown without them.
Increased device usage, however, comes at a price. The price of good posture. Generations of children and adults now have spines which are being shaped and shifted by their screen time every single day. This phenomenon is commonly referred to as ´tech neck´. So how does it occur?
Well to begin with, the human head weighs a lot. When it is pitched forwards, the spine and muscles are forced to adjust to support this added weight. In using devices during the day, particularly a mobile phone, a person tends to tilt the neck forward, which can add up to 27 kilogrammes (60 pounds) of extra pressure at a 60-degree angle on the neck and spine. This excess of weight can cause physical wear and tear in the long term. In the short term, it can significantly alter an individual´s posture, and consequently their non verbal communication skills.
Posture plays a key role in effective communication. A direct and upright posture can indicate leadership, confidence, and competence. (In contrast, a stooped or hunched posture can send off messages of insecurity, weakness, or disinterest.) It allows for correct breathing using the diaphragm, which is crucial for vocal delivery and control. A ´good´ upright posture requires a straight back with shoulders dropped and back, the head level, feet shoulder-width apart, and stomach slightly pulled in. Your spine has three natural curves - at your neck, mid back, and low back. A correct posture should aim to maintain these curves, yet not increase them.
“Posture not only shapes the way we feel, it also shapes the way we think about ourselves—from our self-descriptions to the certainty and comfort with which we hold them. And those self-concepts can either facilitate or hinder our ability to connect with others, to perform our jobs, and, more simply, to be present.” Amy Cuddy
As social psychologist Amy Cuddy explores in her TED talk ´Your body language may shape who you are´, our posture also influences our own levels of confidence and security. With this in mind, as we allow ´tech neck´ to hunch our shoulders and push our heads down, we are not only communicating insecurity to others, but actually moulding ourselves to feel less confident.
Ten tips to prevent tech neck from ruining your posture:
Check your home office set up as a few tweaks can make all the difference. For example, you could invest in a standing desk, ergonomic chair, or a specific phone holder/laptop stand that raises your device to eye level when using it. Consider an external mouse or keyboard if using a laptop computer and bluetooth headphones to avoid holding phone to ear.
If you do switch to a standing desk then implement the change gradually. Alternate between sitting and standing to allow your body to adjust.
Stand up at least once every hour and walk around the space. Focus on taking a deep breath in to engage the diaphragm, and exhale slowly. Promote this practice within your own work teams and remind one another to do this between meetings. Alternatively, set an alarm or put a post it somewhere visible as a reminder.
Your eyes do have a range of motion, which allows you to look down at your device without tilting your head. If you cannot raise the device to eye level then try to lower those eyes without your neck bending along with them.
To keep the joints in your neck flexible, move your head from left to right several times and touch your ear to your shoulder on both sides. Look up at the ceiling and down at the floor. Do this several times a day.
Link your hands together behind your chair, stretch arms away from your body so that your shoulders are pulled back. Then lift your arms above your head keeping shoulders down and seeking to stretch up and away from the torso.
Our shoulders tend to roll forwards and hunch during the day so try some shoulder rolls backwards and forwards. Raise them up towards your ears as if you were a turtle, and then drop them back down again. Now do the same raises but this time isolating and alternating first the left shoulder and then the right.
If there is no in-house masseuse then give yourself a shoulder and neck massage in addition to your stretches. Identify and work out any tensions, gently push your shoulders down.
Schedule specific tech breaks during the day. Consider a new device free ritual for an hour each day to help you transition from work to home mode.
Finally, try to integrate movement and activity into your remote working culture itself. Some companies such as Pinterest set up virtual fitness classes for their employees in the absence of an on site gym. Others encourage employee led yoga sessions. The easiest way to get started is by slotting in a five minute stretch at the beginning or end of your calls.
As technology and remote working trends are set to continue well into the future, we must focus now on adopting healthy habits in how we use our devices. Both our ability to communicate and our physical health depend on it. Companies can reflect on their culture and aim to play an active role in getting their employees up and moving, even at a distance. Individuals can adapt their environments and routines starting from today.
Let´s prevent remote working from becoming a ´pain in the neck´.
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