Troublesome Texting. Save Your Thumbs. (My Insight)

My supervisor asked me to write this piece for work to possibly be published in the paper...I was kind of already familiar with the subject of what texting does to the upper body or at least how it can play negatively on it because I had to present a speech on it in my 2nd year of college, but oh well I got smarter and more sharp in those two years so here you go guys. My first article published for my blog. Enjoy...and please excuse that obscence picture up top. Just a visual of what is highly unlikely but very possible if you allow tyourself to get that attached.

In the world of Blackberry’s, iPhone’s, and Android phones equipped with QWERTY style keypads for creating and responding to text messages, instant messaging (IM), and emails there are many positive and negative effects that come along with these great technological advancements.
Sending text messages, emails, and IM’s is quite convenient from a consumer’s stand-point. Most phone carriers offer affordable and reasonable plans for text messaging that can be equated into any cellular plan. For an additional fee, which can also be quite reasonable, consumers can purchase special internet or data plans. Most data service and internet plans are usually required if a consumer plans to purchase a Smartphone or PDA device.
In the United States this year, there are at least 265 million people who own cell phones, 65 million of these people own text and web enabled phones, and 75 million text messages are sent in the United States per month; opposed to the 18 billion sent per month in 2006. With this many consumers taking advantage of texting, this means more wear and tear to the thumbs, which are primarily used to type on the QWERTY style keyboard and text using standard phones. Healthcare physicians have created a term known as “Blackberry Thumb” which is a condition that refers to the overuse of the thumbs which eventually causes strain and tension to the thumbs. Alan Hedge, PhD, director of the human factors and ergonomics research group at Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y, says, “The thumb is not a very dexterous part of the hand, it is really designed as a stabilizer for pinch gripping with a finger. That is why you only have two of them, not eight. It is the fingers that have dexterity, not the thumb.” (WebMD) Blackberry Thumb is also associated with Repetitive Stress Injury (RSI). RSI comes from the overuse if typing, playing musical instruments, playing sports, and writing. RSI can lead to intense pain in the upper body such as the hands and arm tissues, tendons, and nerves. Healthcare professionals are comparing RSI to Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
Because of the growing rates of text messaging each year, the United States is witnessing a sky-rocketing rate in arthritis and other joint amongst America’s youth. Half of teens in the United States that text send a minimum of 50 texts per day, or 1,500 texts in one month. Once again, all of this usage is causing a great deal of damage to the dexterity in the thumbs.
Though the physical side effects of text messaging are costly and quite stressful, nothing is more frightening than the one art that text messaging is ruining for society as a whole, which is the art of face-to-face communication or voice-communication. Today’s society is becoming so obsessed and familiarized with text messages, IM’s ,and emails that having a simple conversation with someone in public or over the telephone has become a difficult task. There is no substitute for being able to hear or see or hear and see the expressions that are created when holding an actual verbal conversation. Sure, a smiley face icon expresses these emotions comically, but a smiley face is only an artificially generated expression that could never compare to the creation of an actual smile upon someone’s face that was possibly having a horrible day until a small conversation brought them happiness. At the end of the day, text messaging is an impersonal act that handicaps verbal communication. As text messaging increases in popularity the trend of phone calls decreases.
Suggesting that consumers stop sending text messages, IM’s, and emails via cell phone would be asinine and hypocritical, but to suggest possibly turning the cellular device off for at least an hour of the day and find an alternative such as reading a book, going for a short walk, or watching a television show without would not be unreasonable at all. Taking a break from your cellular device may be one of the healthiest and most thoughtful ideas a consumer has done in a long time.