I think we have all noticed that everyday people are spending more time looking at their mobile devices than at other people, or the world around them. If you haven’t, it’s probably because you have been looking at your phone. This not only takes you away from he real world, the world around you, but it may also be affecting your posture. I had heard this before, but I heard it when I was a kid using a Game Boy, or when I was in middle school and started texting. You know, when our parents didn’t text, and they would ask us, why don’t’ you just call people?
And sometimes I notice I’ve been hunched over looking at my phone too much, so I put it away, you know when there’s nothing that needs my attention on my phone. But being hunched over all the time can lead us all to start having neck problems, like a stiff neck, and have a hunched back; and nobody wants that.
Studies have shown that we slouch when we are stressed, sad, of scared. This can also cause us emotional problems, not just show them. This was tested by Marteen W. Bos and Amy Cuddy, as they did a preliminary research, which is summarized below:
“We randomly assigned participants to interact for five minutes with one of four electronic devices that varied in size: a smartphone, a tablet, a laptop and a desktop computer. We then looked at how long subjects would wait to ask the experimenter whether they could leave, after the study had clearly concluded. We found that the size of the device significantly affected whether subjects felt comfortable seeking out the experimenter, suggesting that the slouchy, collapsed position we take when using our phones actually makes us less assertive — less likely to stand up for ourselves when the situation calls for it.”
So our increasing use of mobile devices may just be making us less assertive and less productive. This also affects our mood, memory, and behavior. But all of this wont make any of us stop using out mobile devices, we all depend on them too much now, at least I do. We will just have to find a way to maybe not slouch so much while using them, maybe take a break from looking at them so much.
Slouching affects our mood, memory, behavior, and psychological posture. Fixing this can lead to being happier, more confident, and just a better mood. Maybe that’s just what we all need, better posture to bring everybody a better mood.
This blog post refers to, and was inspired by the New York Times, Dec. 12, 2015 Sunday Review, Opinion article “Your iPhone is ruining your posture- and your mood”, by Amy Cuddy.
Your iPhone Is Ruining Your Posture — and Your Mood
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