Technology

Laptop-itis: Why Limiting the Use of a Laptop for Your Kids Is Wise

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Who wouldn’t be enamored by a laptop? While the desktop PC boasts of power, flexibility is what the laptop parades. You can bring it just about anywhere. Unlike tablets, lappies can help you with work. Of course, tablets can also be a great aid when working, assuming your work involves scrolling through social media. But when it’s about writing emails and producing stunning graphics, the laptop is the go-to device to bring along. Indeed, it leaves the PC behind if you talk about working in multi-locations.

Of course, laptops are a spin-off of desktops. You can say it’s a compressed desktop. It’s inevitable; some genius made the PC design as portable as can be. The input/output components are combined, and everything is rolled into one neat package. The storage device, display screen, keyboard, and optical disc drive in one carry. Truly neat!

But users beware. And that should mean your child, who by now, may have found the laptop as a most useful tool in their quest for knowledge: remote learning. We’ve got one word for you. That is laptop-itis. Medical doctors are crying foul. Using a laptop can mean a string of health issues. Here’s a lowdown on how you can prevent it from ruining your children’s well-being or, for that matter, the whole family.

Laptop-itis in Its Gory Details

Credit it to the virus. In history, there is no time when the internet has become the most pervasive. No time but during the pandemic.

Forbes data showed internet use by Americans is up by 70% since the virus hit the town. Quite naturally, streaming services such as Netflix and e-commerce companies such as Amazon have become household names for everyone on this side of the planet.

However, laptops have become an integral part of all that. A recent cover from New Yorker of a lady in front of a laptop captures the daily lives of millions of Americans, your kids including.

But there goes the rub. Using a laptop can cause laptop-itis.

As Dr. Kevin Carneiro of the University of North Carolina details, laptop use, more often than not, leads to bad posture. To make matters worse, incorrect posture hammered by computer overuse can lead to physical problems of the debilitating kind.

We’re talking about sore muscles and repetitive stress-related injuries. As the keyboard is too close to the monitor, typing on a laptop can cause the dreaded carpal tunnel syndrome or the injury of the nerve passing through the wrist.

Couple all this with the growing popularity of laptops, and you know the problem could be a lot more serious than expected. Since 2008, laptop sales have overtaken desktop sales for the first time in the US.

The Solution to the Problem

If you have a laptop and a desktop at home, having your child use the desktop for long hours is the way to go. The ergonomics of a desktop plays to your child’s advantage. As the screen is further away, they won’t have to put their eyes close to the monitor. Moreover, they won’t be as cramped as the keyboard can be adjusted on a desktop. You can’t detach the keyboard from the laptop.

On the brighter side, choosing to buy a powerful desktop should be a good option. To boot, a desktop is faster and more efficient in handling hard tasks than a laptop, even when both use the same microprocessor.

Plus, you and your child can avail of the PC builder option where they can get a desktop to their liking. It’s like a made-to-order PC. Best of all, the designing part is all done online.

Alternatively, you can use a docking station for your laptop. That is done by linking a monitor to the device. This way, your child won’t be so hard-pressed for space when using one.

Additionally, a USB-keyboard linked to the laptop should give your child ample space to move about. In short, to solve your problem, you need to decongest the laptop and turn it into the original desktop form. The trick is to make the laptop more ergonomically-friendly.

Moreover, it would help if you used an adjustable chair for the best results. You need to position your laptop screen to be directly in front of you so you may not have to bend your neck. Take timely breaks every 20 minutes to make sure you don’t strain too much.

And when you start experiencing neck pains and headaches, you may have to drop your doctor a visit. Most importantly, you should change your approach and use laptops only sparingly. After all, health and well-being come first for everyone in the family — your child’s including.

Meta title: Laptop-itis: The Hidden Health Dangers of Kids Using a Laptop

Meta desc: Laptops may come in handy. They outnumber desktops today. But laptop-itis can sabotage your health. Know how to go over it here.

Kallen Kazz
the authorKallen Kazz