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LOOKING DOWN AT your phone while texting or browsing the internet is putting up to 60 pounds (or 27kg) more weight on your spine, according to a new study published in medical journal Surgical Technology International.

In the paper, New York surgeon Dr Kenneth Hansraj reveals just how much pressure our smartphones are exerting on our backs.

Dr Hansraj writes:

The weight seen by the spine dramatically increases when flexing the head forward at varying degrees. An adult head weighs 10 to 12 pounds in the neutral position. As the head tilts forward the forces seen by the neck surges to 27 pounds at 15 degrees, 40 pounds at 30 degrees, 49 pounds at 45 degrees and 60 pounds at 60 degrees.

People spend an average of two to four hours a day on their phones, so over time, all this accumulated extra weight can cause a hunched-forward position and increased risk of spinal wear and tear. Eek.

Surgical Technology International Surgical Technology International

Simply put, assuming your head weighs 10 pounds, looking down at your phone all day puts an extra 50 pounds of weight on your neck – the equivalent of the average bull dog, or five medium-sized bowling balls.

This. Around your neck. Shutterstock Shutterstock

All of a sudden, we’re sitting up straighter.

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