Will your awkward moments lead to cell phone elbow?

Have you ever felt an awkward moment at a party and pulled out your cell phone, pretending to check your email?

Are you guilty of texting while driving even though you know it’s risky?

Does leaving your phone at home when vacationing or on a special date make you uncomfortable?

Have you found yourself cruising YouTube’s latest videos while conversations go on around you?

We do love our electronics. And cell phones are so darned handy, with all the latest apps and gizmos.

But doctors tell us that, due to our obsession with staying connected, they’re seeing risks beyond texting while driving. They have actually documented some less obvious unhealthy side effects of too much cell phone use.

They note behavior issues like information overload and insomnia, and physical dangers like allergic reactions and hearing problems.

And then, there’s the heart break of something called “text neck” and “cell phone elbow!”

Okay, that’s funny. But there is a more serious lesson in here somewhere. Maybe it’s time we learned to tame our devices — to take a healthy break from those all-too-enticing cell phones occasionally.

I like to think that I own the cell phone – it doesn’t own me. With that as my mantra, I think the next time I travel, I’ll enjoy the view instead of a video. And maybe, just maybe, next time I’m at a gathering, I’ll to talk to the people I can actually reach out and touch!

It’s an offbeat concept, but I think I’ll try it.

Advertisement