How computers affect our health
Can you remember the last day when you haven’t used your computer? Or the last week when you didn’t touch the keyboard? I’m pretty sure you can’t, as computers entered our lives fast and we are now used to use them every day.
All this sounds ok, but I’m guessing you don’t know what health problems we are exposed to if we use computers too much. A few weeks ago I’ve came across a short list of health problems caused by a geek lifestyle, but I didn’t had time to tell you about them, till today.
So, let’s take them one by one:
- Sleep disorders – insomnia or often awakening during the nights. Cause is frequent use on PC or laptop right after you wake up. Resolution is pretty simple, don’t lay in bad working, just do something that doesn’t stimulate your brain too much.
- Headaches – often caused by improper environment surrounding computer use. Check your screen position, room lighting, chair, glasses.
- Back pain – caused by improper chair sitting position and prolonged absence of back muscles exercises
- Poor attention span – that’s very interesting. We are used to do multitasking, working with different programs at the same time and being concentrated on several points on the screen, when feedback is expected. When we are facing only one task, we get bored faster, we can’t concentrate enough on the singular task. Meetings, when you have to be focus on the discussion is a killer. There isn’t too much you can do to correct this, as your brain takes longer to learn another work pattern.
As you can see, I’ve said “we” several times, as I consider myself an intensive computer user, with more than 10 hours a day of online time. Maybe future will solve those kind of health problems, but I’m not counting on it. I’m now trying to figure out a lifestyle that gets me enough time with my beloved computers without putting my life in danger. What do you think? Do you manage to escape the terrible force of online existence?
Update: if you’re interested in health issues related to computer use you can check this book about How to Be Pain Free and Relieve the Symptoms of Computer Stress Syndrome.
omg i had no idea!!!!!!!
I have a Question? I am a student at Peebles High School, and i am doing an Essay on “Is this dependence on computers a good thing or should we be more suspicious of the benifits?”
I mean we got doctors accross the world performing sergerys over here in the United States by computer.
There starting to put Micro-chips into our arms and forehead, to control temper problems, to make you feel Emotional or mad, it even tells your mind what to thing and what to do.
They even got computers that make you go to sleep now.
Is the world going computerized or Humanized? What is your statement?
Daniel, my point of view is that you can’t kill progress, it’s natural for us (as society) to become computerized but we have to be careful not to be de-Humanized.
I completely support computers (your surgery example is one good example) but we have to figure out the nasty part and control it.
ur a cunt
I’ve had that issue where i wake up at night thinking about games i played before sleep…i also experienced poor attention span but i blamed that on my ADHD. I have to say this helped a lot with my project thanks!
I have ADHD and i need to say that i concentrate MOST on the game im playing while on the computer
Hi, from my own experience I thought the following information might help. If it is not applicable to the work you are doing. Then maybe you could pass it on to the relative people.
It may help them to help someone.
Regards Peter in Australia
Hi, for the last 30 years I have worked with all facets of computers. Since day one any computer that was brought to me was first taken outdoors, covers removed and then all dust blasted out with a reverse vacuum cleaner.
The reason being computer fans act like a vacuum not only keeping the computer cool but sucking in dust and also blowing out dust which you breath.
Several years ago I decided to set up a small computer company enabling me to work from home. After establishing my computer business I received 6 older ex government computers from another company requesting an upgrade of memory, sound and graphics cards.
As I have always been curious about dust in computers decided to send samples away to get tested and analysed. The result was the dust samples were loaded with asbestos dust. So I returned the computers untouched to the supplier with a warning letter. So one week after establishing my new company I phoned up the government office and cancelled my registration. Sort of health before income.
Removing dust from a computer can be a difficult task as there are a lot of hidden and unreachable areas such as under the motherboard and inside the power pack and CPU fan.
So what I do in my own case is have two duplicate computers. One I use and the other on standby, stored away. Once every six month the computer I have been using is taken outside, covers removed and then taking the garden hose blast the inside of the computer out with a water jet ‘Yes water’ not really good for electrical equipment but it is the mort efficient way to completely remove dust.
Then this spotlessly clean computer is placed in my steel home garage. Left for six months with the daily heat of the sun on the garage dries out the water and all moisture completely. So far for me this method has worked.
If you are getting an aching back from sitting long hours at the computer it may pay to check that the chair you are using has not reached its use by date (old and worn out). A new ergonomic computer chair will in many cases resolve the problem. If you know someone with a newer chair see if they will loan it to you for a few day’s. Within a week you may feel the benefits warranting you replacing your old computer chair with a new one.
Another problem is RSI from standard computer mouse usage.
I have been using the standard computer mouse for many years. I started to get RSI from long hours using it. Tried my left hand. After a while same RSI problem.
Thought about it and the answer was so simple. I fixed the problem and cured the RSI in about 10 seconds. Now I can use the standard computer mouse with my right hand, 7 days a week for as many hours as I please No RSI.
It does not cost anything and you do not even have to replace the computer mouse with some fancy pointing device or gadget.
That’s great
How.
Simply reverse the mouse so that the click buttons face you.
Grip the mouse on the left side at the bottom end facing you with your thumb.
Grip the mouse on the Right side at the bottom end facing you with your middle or second finger.
Now that the left mouse button, which in reverse becomes the right click button, falls conveniently under the first finger.
So to move the onscreen cursor, bend your fingers or straighten your fingers. This will move the cursors up or down.
To move the cursor left to right first bend your thumb and straighten your middle finger. Then to move it the other way simply straighten your thumb and bend your first finger.
You will find there is very little movement with the wrist, and practically none with the elbow and shoulder. So No RSI in that area.
Only one small problem all onscreen cursor movements are in reverse. So you have to give yourself time to get used to it. Once learned it is an asset for life.
After learning this method I came up with, I suddenly thought maybe the rest of the world had got it wrong. Or the original teachers wanted us to get RSI.
Regards
Peter
thank you for telling me about the negative parts of tech.
it really helped me on my homework ^^
Computer technology, just like any other material on earth has been created with a common good in mind. Just like a knife, it has been made to cut and slice food to speed up cooking time for people but it can also be used to kill people, and you cannot ban the use of knives in order to stop killing.
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