By Nathan Robinson
Over 80% of Americans have poor posture, and I have to admit that I’m part of that percentage. My posture is beginning to look on par with L’s from Death Note. With the world’s posture becoming progressively worse throughout the generations, we may start to see some serious issues.
A main contributor to the increase in poor posture is technology. Technology comes in many forms, but the most used, namely cell phones, tend to promote a chronic change in posture that deviates significantly from acceptable posture. Even as I’m typing this, I’m sitting on my knees with a semi-rounded back. It’s not the fault of technology, but the fault of the user and the environment. Ergonomics* is a great way to improve posture because it ensures that if the user is willing, the body can be supported properly. Luckily, technology in plenty of cases does not require ergonomics. Cell phones nowadays are multipurpose tools, mainly used for posting memes and trash-talking on Reddit. All jokes aside, cell phones have many different purposes that expand outside of the need for applied ergonomics. These actions mainly require constant monitoring of the phone screen, and on average, US citizens spend around 3 hours on their phones. Given how the posture of most people is horrendous when using their phones, many problems start to reveal themselves. The strain put on the neck for an excessive amount of time due to the act of looking down causes drastic effects like tension and pain. Fixing posture while using technology sounds easy on paper, but when put in action, it takes getting used to. Essentially, the head should be close to perpendicular to the ground at all times, so when using a phone, one’s head must still be in this position. Ideally, one’s hands have to be at the same angle as the direction of vision, so it is pretty uncomfortable and discouraging at first to use a phone in the posturally “correct” manner. Despite the seemingly unnatural change, phone posture must be improved in order to decrease the likelihood of future neck problems.
Cell phones are not the only cause for our horrid posture. Because we’re the predecessors of monkeys and we’ve evolved to stand on two legs, we've ultimately ditched the primitive quadrupedal locomotion (using four limbs to move) for a more “sophisticated” bipedal locomotion (using two limbs to move), which severely affected the posture of humans. Opting out of walking on fours did encourage back pain to creep in, but the main cause is the human. Bipedalism plays a role in back pain because of all the pressure put on the lower spine, but the biggest factor lies within the individual.
The outcome for many who do not have good posture includes pain in some joints, a hunched back, rounded shoulders, aches, fatigue, etc. There are also systematic implications as well, like worse circulation, poor lung function, etc. Posture can then cause misery in the future. With the increase of sedentary life and digital life, one can only imagine what “normal posture” will become.
Fortunately, to assist in fixing posture, exercises can be performed. The McKenzie exercise (check out the last source for more information) is commonly used to treat back pain. It consists of mainly stretches for the back and head, which is obviously why it improved forward head posture and round shoulder posture. Stretching (correctly) in the general area of tension should relieve pain on the joints, and with enough work, it could potentially correct posture.
*an applied science surrounding the design and arrangement of things people use so that the people and things interact most efficiently and safely (Merriam-Webster)
Additional Content
Questions:
1. Does bad posture cause scoliosis?
I have heard many claims that posture leads to scoliosis, but many medical professionals, including my doctor, say that it is mostly due to genetics. I have a minor case of scoliosis, which is why I asked in the first place if it was due to posture, and it turns out to just be bad luck.
2. How should one sit?
It’s good to sit at the back of a chair with the back supported by the chair and shoulders rolled back. The feet should be flat on the ground, and the head should be relatively straight. Some people (like me) may be on the shorter side, so adjustments to the seat height need to be made in order for the feet to reach the ground. If the feet cannot reach the ground, then it is probably best to sit supporting your own back and moving several inches forward until the feet are supported.
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