Laptops Can Sometimes Be a Pain
Laptops are a fabulous tool. But precisely because they are so useful, students rely on them more and more. A recent report from the Guardian newspaper in England shows that this is leading to some problems. Specifically, students who regularly use laptops are being found to have persistent neck, back, shoulder and wrist pain.
In a study of almost 700 students, well over 50% said that they experienced some aches and pains as a result of their laptop use, with 7% having pain a lot of the time. The study has led to some preventative ergonomic-advice for students.
The advice is not aimed at getting anyone to give up his or her laptop. The researchers who conducted the study known that this is an unrealistic idea. But they do hope to get users to adopt practices that will lessen possible problems. To that end, they have started a campaign Don't Be a Laptop Loser and it is gaining a lot of attention in a number of universities. You can find out more at http://www.ergonomics.org.uk/espdfs/LaptopPoster.pdf.
