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Study reveals the hidden risks of touchscreen devices

Posted: , by Victor H.

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Study reveals the hidden risks of touchscreen devices
After numerous studies in the past have shed light on the health issues surrounding the use of traditional personal computers, now more people are shifting their focus to mobile devices and the risks coming with them. As smartphones are in almost every pocket and the iPad is quickly becoming the replacement computer of choice, there’s a couple of problems that spring up with the use of those devices and touchscreens.

A study by InfoWorld reveals that not surprisingly ergonomics is one of the big problems. While you usually sit in front of a computer or a notebook, with mobile devices you often end up in unnatural poses and terrible posture for prolonged periods of time. People hunching over their smartphones are pretty common, and it might be a good idea to check your posture when using your mobile device.

But with touchscreens comes another problem - virtual keyboards with no feedback. The study concludes that this causes users to exert up to eight times more pressure than needed. This results in a tightening of the fingers, wrists and forearms, which in turn could result in Carpal tunnel syndrome affecting your nerves.

Typing is not the only problem - you often end up just hovering your fingers, waiting, and this causes isometric tension, the study found. This results in even more problems for your muscles and tendons.

Now, there’s plenty of benefits too - we needn’t focus on those as you know them, but in the study one thing that’s mentioned is the ability to rearrange buttons on touchscreens, so they’re more comfortable to reach. What do you think about touchscreen devices, have you seen or experienced those issues mentioned?

source: InfoWorld via PCMag

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1. baldilocks posted on 18 Jan 2012, 04:32 15 3

Who are these people? I barely use ANY pressure when typing on a touch screen device.

3. XiphiasGladius posted on 18 Jan 2012, 04:39 5

They might be doing it wrong I guess since I have non of those problems mentioned above.

14. baldilocks posted on 18 Jan 2012, 07:35 3 1

I'm surprised you didn't get more thumbs down reviews. People here seem to reward the truth with negativity.

16. XiphiasGladius posted on 18 Jan 2012, 08:29 2 1

That surprised me also, makes me wonder are they having pleasure thumbing down peoples sensible comments? Maybe they thought mine was fallacy and insensible. . .

5. santaclaus posted on 18 Jan 2012, 05:05 5 2

people are experts from that field. although u think that u didn't exert any pressure on the screen, in fact u may lock/limit the flexibility of ur fingers to avoid pressing on the screen too hard. u may not know...

13. baldilocks posted on 18 Jan 2012, 07:33 6 1

No. These are my fingers and I know how much pressure I exert.

20. ghost__uwi posted on 18 Jan 2012, 09:27

Agreed.

25. Penny posted on 18 Jan 2012, 12:51 3 1

Just like this is your body and you don't need the doctors to tell you what's wrong with you, right?

You may live with your body 24 hours a day, but somebody whose job it is to pay attention to the details of your actions may notice something a person wouldn't ordinarily pay attention to or realize while they are doing it.

19. ghost__uwi posted on 18 Jan 2012, 09:25 2

agreed. I know for sure on the iPad its a delicate touch. Even on the S2 its extremely responsive with a touch.

Posture part I agree with though.

2. Tatperson posted on 18 Jan 2012, 04:37 1

Many phones with virtual keyboards have feedback through vibration.

4. TerryCrowley posted on 18 Jan 2012, 05:02 10 2

Except the iPhone.

7. baldilocks posted on 18 Jan 2012, 05:13 2 4

Which it really doesn't need. I never used keyboard vibration feedback on my iPhone, nor do I use it on my Galaxy S II.

28. TerryCrowley posted on 18 Jan 2012, 14:04 3 1

That's because you don't have it on your iPhone and you don't have a Galaxy S II XP. Btw it's called Haptic Feedback.

30. Baseballer posted on 18 Jan 2012, 17:16

Actually iphone does.

18. Firedrops posted on 18 Jan 2012, 09:15 1

One of the first things I turn off whenever I get a new phone/flash a new ROM. I find vibrating "feedback" extremely annoying.

32. Tatperson posted on 19 Jan 2012, 06:34

I guess it's all about personal preference.

6. Dark4o90 posted on 18 Jan 2012, 05:11 2

bullsh*t

8. Cwebb posted on 18 Jan 2012, 06:08 8 1

*Reads with his finger hovering over the screen*

9. andro. posted on 18 Jan 2012, 06:19 3 2

Seeing as most android phones have haptic feedback in their screens are these expert studies trying to tell us that apple products give you carpel tunnel syndrome??!!!

10. flopjoke posted on 18 Jan 2012, 06:19 3 1

They did "a study". Nice.

11. iKingTrust (banned) posted on 18 Jan 2012, 07:05 1 2

Great study. lmao

12. spiderpig2894 posted on 18 Jan 2012, 07:21 8 1

Well, maybe they tried the RESISTIVE TOUCH SCREEN.

21. ghost__uwi posted on 18 Jan 2012, 09:28 1

yeah I will agree wit that. Resistive touch screens used to make me want to poke a hole in my phone.

15. jubbing posted on 18 Jan 2012, 07:45 3

I thought they were going to say 'finger burn' could become a huge issue. Especially with damn games like Infinity Blade... ouch.

22. godsarmylds posted on 18 Jan 2012, 09:56 1

That's why i love swype!!!!!!

23. atheisticemetic posted on 18 Jan 2012, 10:23

im going to assume 16 yr old texters may experience tightening of the hands ;)

24. MorePhonesThanNeeded posted on 18 Jan 2012, 11:12 1

If this is true then using a touch pad on a lap top would net you the same results then? Touch pads have no feedback and you have to hover just to use it which is essentially the same thing as a touchscreen phone is it not?

How repetitive are the gestures you make on your smart phone are to cause carpal tunnel? I barely exert any kind of pressure while using my phone to type, since I swype everything in. I don't haunch over my phone to use it because it has a big screen so I am not trying to look into it as if it's some really small looking glass. I don't know about you but my body automatically adjusts to use the phone without using too much pressure, but like anything you do if you do it too often and continually it will affect you, but this is for people who sit there and play with their phones like 7 hours out of a 8 hour workday though.

26. Cyd07 posted on 18 Jan 2012, 12:52

Hey, maybe here geeks have less problems than others. Many of you said "I don't put much pressure on the screen, I know it's sensitive". You're probably right, and I put as less pressure as possible on my screen too.

But should you see my mother, she really press her touchscreen screen ! She does not integrate it's fast and sensitive... My point is : maybe much people are not really at ease with their screen (they don't "trust" it, don't trust it's fast and responsive), so maybe these people have real risks with their fingers...

27. downphoenix posted on 18 Jan 2012, 14:01 1

I just dont see this study having any validity, same with the one that said 7 inch touchscreen devices are too cramped. I have no problem typing on my Blackberry Playbook AT ALL. Not due to small screen size, not due to it being a touchscreen device. The size is fine and I can type on my lap or while holding the tablet, and being a touchscreen means very low resistance and impact, which means extended sessions with this is LESS of a wear on my wrists than using a computer keyboard for an extended amt of time.

29. m.garz posted on 18 Jan 2012, 16:50 1

another article to feature the iphone.. :D

31. thinking posted on 19 Jan 2012, 05:15

I find this study making sense. And it's talking about involuntary finger muscle tightening and movements. We don't realise it but observe closely and you would. What does your finger do when the page is loading? It's waiting, tight. Besides, I don't know anyone who can use tabs and smartphones with the posture of a desktop. Even laptops are worse but with smartphones, etc, you don't have a choice but to hunch over it.

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