Today I walked in to check on my son’s schoolwork and found him horribly hunched over working at the computer in his room. Before school started just a couple of weeks ago, this was primarily a gaming computer and we limit his gaming time, so I did not really notice it. Our son is also very athletic, so when he wasn’t playing a game, he was outside working out, biking, or running.

Now that school has started, he hardly has time to go outside as much. In addition to spending over six hours a day in school , he also has homework that plants him in front of a screen another 2-3 hours a day. The same is true for our daughter. This can’t be good.

The Science Behind the Concern

In an article titled School at home: How to keep attending virtual classes from being a real pain in the neck, Jennifer Jolly of USA Today explains that this is becoming a very common problem. Her own daughter suffered a herniated disk as a result of bad posture and using less than adequate furniture. Ouch! According to some research she found online, “the American Chiropractic Association, [found that] 92% of chiropractors said patients are reporting more neck, back, or other musculoskeletal issues since the pandemic began. Kids are no exception.”

She inquired more information from Dr. Jared Vagy, physical therapist, author, and USC Clinical Assistant Professor, who said that: “low back pain and neck pain are two of the most common sustained posture injuries from non-ergonomic sitting… Spine hunched and shoulders rounded, that’s the classic middle-school and teenager posture while sitting.”

That is very likely where my own children are headed. I also do not believe that teachers are aware of this. For them, it is one or two lectures back to back at most, and then they can take a break. Many teachers also pre-record their lectures, so the teachers are not even there when the students watch the videos.

For the students, however, they are forced into that sitting position for hours on end. Sure, they are allowed a few short breaks, but these do not address the cumulative effect of hours of computer-time a day. There is P.E., which consists of a few stretches and strength exercises in front of the computer, but again, this is not sufficient to cope with the remaining hours of sitting in that chair.

Another concern I have is for their eyesight. My son just happens to have a larger gaming monitor, so I’m guessing he’s better off than all those kids huddled over a 15” laptop or Chromebook. While our daughter also had a desktop computer with a larger screen (fortunately), it is not as detailed as the one my son uses. I am quite certain that everyone will be needing new glasses by the end of the year

Computing for the rest of the family

In our family, we have 1.5 high quality computer chairs. I say that because the second chair is a generic one that we purchased on sale at Office Depot. It is OK, but not ideal. We purchased these chairs when our work started to require longer hours in front of a screen. The chairs are a couple of years old.

That said, these chairs are far from adequate as well. Prior to the pandemic, we frequently attended meetings, workshops, and events so we were out and about quite a bit. I also took time to exercise several times a day before the pandemic – now not so much. We have been cooped up inside much more than what is healthy.

Unlike our children who were still able to spend much of their time outside and on the go, we typically stayed inside and worked. We have adapted our work to comply with the lockdowns and the restrictions, but what will be the long-term ramifications for us? Will we suffer the same problems as our children?

Actually, because we are a bit less active than our children, and because we are older, our problems are likely to be much more severe. My work usually becomes busy towards the end of the month when I need to meet deadlines, and truth-be-told, I have noticed far more muscle and nerve issues lately.

Chairs matter

Our previous chairs, which were very much inadequate are the ones that our children are now using – this is what happens in most households, I am told. The problem is that those older chairs are sagging, springs are worn, and the cushioning is flat. This causes pain in the lower legs after a few hours of use and does not support the back adequately.

When the kids were just sitting in short stints for a quick game of Fortnite, between longer times playing outside, then this wasn’t an issue. This fall, however, schools seem to be trying to make up for whatever academic setbacks were not met last Spring. It seems that students are required to spend far more time in their chairs now.

I think this is a perfect time to invest in quality chairs for our kids, but also to replace that .5 chair that we should also replace. Our old chairs should not be handed down either. That is just kicking the bucket down the street, and this bucket equals pain.

If you do have decent chairs that you use for work (we only have the one), then you could hand those to the kids and then make the new chairs a business expense (possible tax write-off) for yourself. Most small businesses tend to spend more liberally on technology while furniture is often forgotten. This pandemic year, the priority needs to also include chairs.

Other steps to take to improve posture

As it turns out there are many things, we can do to improve our posture when working at the computer. First and foremost: take regular breaks to stretch and do some light exercises. I have a system for doing this myself by frequently changing the music I listen to while I work (I listen to records). This is not something everyone has access to, but maybe you can find your own distraction that forces you to walk away from the screen on a regular basis.

The USA Today article mentioned above, also has a good diagram describing how children and adults should sit in front of a computer:

This does not necessarily require new and expensive equipment, either. Many of the suggestions can be implemented with things we have laying around the house, like using a thick book or two to raise the monitor to the correct height.

In the article, Jennifer Jolly also provides specific recommendations for improving posture. These include purchasing a laptop stand, replacing the chair, the desk, and considering a new keyboard and mouse as well. Obviously, these have a cost, but as mentioned above, you can substitute with items you have paying around.

Conclusion

I will not say that this issue is anywhere near the seriousness of the pandemic, but the pandemic is making this issue more serious for our children and us gig workers. Correct ergonomic equipment is an expense that large businesses and corporations can cover – for them it is less expensive than a lawsuit. For those running small businesses, this becomes a question of balancing this against other financial expenses the business needs to incur.

That said, I do think that this is the year to make an investment in better furniture. You can always tell your tax accountant that you have higher expenses this year because of the pandemic (which is not untrue). So do your research and invest in better chairs for yourself and your children. Just as it is cheaper than a lawsuit for a large corporation, it is also cheaper than long-term medical care for you.

The issue of posture and prolonged screen time for our children as a result of the pandemic will continue to be an important one. I expect that it will reappear in the media throughout the year. No, it is not as serious as the pandemic itself, but it will still be a serious health issue for millions that will have long-term ramifications as well.