Children are developing severe back problems not seen since the enactment of child labor laws. The culprit is modern technology in the form of video games, cellphones, and other handheld devices that keep children hunched over for hours each day, according to Dutch orthopedic surgeons Piet van Loon and Andre Soeterbroek.
“In those days, kids got weak backs from child labor; now they’re getting it from these devices,” Dr. Soeterbroek told The Irish Times. “It makes no difference to the body whether you’re hunched over in a cigar factory or spending eight hours over an iPad.”
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Van Loon and Soeterbroek named the condition "Gameboy Back," after children began coming to doctors complaining of mysterious back pain. They say the condition, which causes curvature of the spine and herniated discs, is usually seen in laborers over the age of 50, but it is becoming common among children eight to 18 years old because of the hours they spend bent over while playing video games.
“Essentially, it’s like growing bonsai trees: Bone responds in the same way as wood,” Dr. van Loon told The Irish Times. “If you force it in a certain direction over a prolonged period, that’s how it ends up growing.”
The key to avoiding the condition is not to ban video games, the doctors say, but to encourage good posture. To read The Irish Times article, go here.
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