What is Text Neck?

For the average American, their smartphone is an essential part of their life, and is by their side nearly constantly. 79% of the population between the ages of 18 and 44 have their cell phones with them almost all the time. The average time spent communicating on a smart phone per day is 132 minutes (or 2 hours, 12 minutes). For reference, that's nearly as much time as the average American spends per day commuting to and from work, cooking meals, and caring for their family, combined (see articles 1, 2, 3). Four out of five Americans check their phone within 15 minutes of waking up.

"Text neck" is the term used to refer to the neck and upper back pain caused by the pressure put on your neck when you're looking down at your phone, tablet, or other device. Text neck symptoms include upper back pain, a dull ache at the base of the neck, neck tightness or pain in the shoulders. The human head weighs an average of 10 pounds; for every inch your head tilts farther forward, the pressure on your neck is doubled. At a 45 degree angle, the pressure on your spine is approximately 49 lbs (see diagram). This could make you feel like your head is much heavier than it really is and lead to fatigue.

To avoid text neck, make sure to raise your phone or laptop screen to your line of sight, rather than looking down at it. Keep your head back so that your ears are aligned above your shoulders and avoid craning your neck forwards. To help strengthen the muscles in the back of your neck, try this exercise: place your hands behind your head and interlace your fingers; press your head backwards into the pressure from your hands. Alternatively, press your head backwards into your headrest while driving. Both of these exercises will help improve the symptoms of text neck. Above all, try to be conscious of your posture and the angle your neck is being held at; a few days of practicing good posture can make all the difference!