About the Author
mick madigan
Mick Madigan lives in the UK and has a continual interest in lifelong healthiness.
For information and products to keep you safe fit and healthy on and off the PC, visit his Healthy Computing site at
Healthy Computing
Did people really care about healthy computing in 2006? This puzzles me. Statistics always lag but in 2004, 448,000 workers suffered from Repetitive Stress Injuries (RSI). In the US, its estimated RSI is costing $50 BILLION a year in medical costs and lost productivity.
Not all of this is computer related - any repeated motion may cause ligament damage. But you'll find its much less common among professional keyboard musicians (who will have been taught optimum positioning at a keyboard optimally placed and rarely do 6-12 hour stints).
Contrast this with game programmers who, well..are there to hammer out the product fast... stuck in fairly fixed positions, no regular computer breaks, no healthy meals no exercise, no fresh air.. staring at that screen, which brings me to:-
Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS), a mix of all the ways computers can directly damage your eyes in an unfavourable working environment.
A million new cases of CVS are reported each year. One quote from a medical source estimated that up to 95% of people between 18 and 30 risk CVS if they regularly spend long periods at their computer.
CVS can also cause head neck back and muscle pains. Buying decent computer glasses, better lighting, screen resiting all help, but people dont just don't bother-and nor do employers and parents act until the problems become acute.
Yet there is a definite lack of urgency about staying fitter at your computer. Some courses are issued, some news and instruction posted, but ultimately theres still a 'it wont happen to me' syndrome.
Healthy computing practices are being viewed like heath and safety. Worthy dull, only just needing a few drills to remove the danger.
Furthermore the proliferation of smaller laptop and hand held devices increases both risk and potential computer related injury. You can now theoretically be on a computer most of your day, wherever you are. Humanity fixed and fixated by machines- unless you decide otherwise.
What do you think... what can make healthy computing more interesting? Or does it need campaigns and warning like smoking?
Sorry this has been a gloomy blog for a festive time but for the sake of your future wellness safety and prosperity, I'm urging anyone who has not already done so: make an immediate decision.
Start 2006 healthy computing now in the last days of 2006 and into 2007 and beyond!
Published by mick madigan on December 21, 2006 07:26 AM
