Tablet Use Can Lead to Neck Strain
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iStock/Thinkstock(PULLMAN, Wash.) — Using a tablet can be a literal pain in the neck.
Researchers at Washington State University conducted a study of 33 students and staff members reading and typing on a tablet in a variety of positions that lasted two-to-five minutes.
They discovered that the strain on the participants’ neck muscles was three-to-five times greater than when people sat with their head in a neutral, straight-ahead position.
Obviously, the higher the tablet was propped, the less strain was put on neck muscles.
Lead author Anita Vasavada said the goal now is to develop “ergonomics guidelines for tablet computer use.”
It’s estimated that over half of Americans ages 35-49 are regular tablet users while more than four in ten youngsters 17 and under own a tablet.
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