Health Issues With Technology

I've been teaching 346 IS (The Digital Society) subject for a couple of semesters now, and found that there are certain issues pertaining to IT use that should be of concern to many. Here are some, which I thought is worth sharing :

LAPTOPS - not on the lap, please !

Research found out that heat generated from laptops sitting on user’s laps can kill & weaken sperm count. Ouch !! How many of us really put the laptop on our lap? Who, me ? Not anymore. Not after I've read this article ... So all of you guys out there, be careful. Putting your laptop on your lap is a definite NO-NO ... think of your future generations man ! heheh

(Worst-case scenario : What's the use of having a "soldier" who can't even salute ?... if you know what I mean ? ... So far Alhamdulillah my soldier has never let me down. In fact he even sometimes voluntarily wakes up in the middle of the night to do "sentry", eventhough I didn't ask him to do so ... good boy ! :)

BACKPACK or OVER-THE-SHOULDER BAG (sling bag) ?

Carrying a laptop in a shoulder bag can sometimes lead to health problems. The weight is the decisive factor, says Stephan Gruner, a Hamburg physiotherapist. Standard laptops (12-15” screen) weigh between 1.5-2kg, while UMPC (7” screen) weighs <1kg.

Arguments: If the computer is heavy or if folders and books add extra weight, it means a person automatically shifts their shoulder up to balance the burden. That leads to tension at the shoulder and neck region, and may cause headaches.

But there are excellent shoulder carriers that come with wide straps to improve the distribution of the load on the shoulder. Nonetheless, backpacks are recommended for transporting laptops, as it’s far better for the back. Some newer laptop carriers can be used as either backpacks or shoulder model.

TO BLINK or NOT TO BLINK, that is the question

Studies have shown that people who work with computers do not blink their eyes as much as they otherwise would. The result are dry, irritable eyes and vision impairment.

Suggestion ? Remember to blink your eyes frequently while you stare at the monitor. Use artificial tears to supplement your natural tears when your eyes become tired. A few drops of Eye-Mo will do just fine !