TORONTO – Terms like “gamer’s grip,” “Blackberry thumb” and “text neck” are neologisms that evolve – as does our increased use of mobile technologies.
Could “smartphone face” be the next tech-driven woe that we’re left to treat?
According to British media, aesthetic experts in that country have coined the term “smartphone face,” to refer to millions of drooping jawlines that are caused by too much downward facing time from looking at our smartphones. Texting on smartphones and being on laptops have been cited as sources of this condition.
The logic goes something like this: hours spent sitting with someone’s head bent down and slightly forward shortens the neck muscles and increases gravitational pull on the jowl area. This causes a more drooping appearance.
Smartphone face? Say it ain’t so.
According to Toronto-based plastic surgeon Dr. Jerome Edelstein, there isn’t much truth to the hype. He says he’s never heard of the condition.
What is possible in theory, explained Edelstein – as a result of gravity and simply, aging – is that when a person stares at their smartphone for extended periods of time, and is looking down, loosening of the muscles could be likely. He explains that an increase of procedures to the face, as cited by the British media could be more of a result of a variety of non-evasive technologies being available to consumers on the market – not necessarily as a result of people’s habits on their smartphones.
Now that we can stop worrying about “smartphone face,” here are some other tech-related ailments to think about.
1. Text neck: Chiropractors coined this painful condition in the cervical spine that can cause headaches, dizziness and chronic pain in the neck, shoulders and arms. These symptoms are caused by sustained periods of having your head in a forward position.
2. Blackberry thumb: Refers to a form of repetitive strain injury caused by the frequent use of the thumbs to press buttons on PDAs, smartphones, or other mobile devices.
3. Wiiitis: Acute “wiiitis” has been ‘documented clinically and by imaging, of the upper extremity, caused by prolonged participation in a physically interactive virtual video-game.’
4. Cellphone elbow (cubital tunnel syndrome): Refers to the aching, burning, numbness or tingling in the forearm and hand due to increased pressure on the ulnar nerve at the elbow that can be caused by cellphone use.
5. Computer vision syndrome: Refers to dry and burning eyes, blurred vision and headache, neck aches and backaches that can occur after looking at a computer screen for uninterrupted periods.
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