Are cellphones causing bone mutations?

Imagine for a moment suppose telephones were so potent that they altered the structure of our skeletons. It's remarkable how quickly this has become a mainstream news story.

It's based on research showing that using smartphones and tablets can alter our biology in significant and unexpected ways.

David Shahar and Mark Sayers, Biomechanists from Australia's University of the Sunshine Coast, have been investigating the applicability of mechanical laws to biological systems, such as locomotion and the flapping of wings, for the past few years.

Osteobiography, the study of a person's life as deduced from their bones, is also a part of Shahar and Sayers' research.

It has long been understood that skeletons change to reflect the habits of their owners. Skeletons of an extremely great size were discovered in 1924 on the Pacific island of Tinian. The hefty limbs, legs, and collarbones of the skeletons were consistent with the stone constructions nearby; the inhabitants of the islands had evolved to accommodate the weight of the stones they worked with. Shaw Heart and Sayers, two Australian researchers, are convinced that today's technology is altering the skeletal structures of today's youth.

Just how does it accomplish this feat? It's all related to the external occipital protuberance (EOP). The EOP is a bony outgrowth in the back of the skull, but some doctors and observers have been more creative in their descriptions, likening it to a foam ball or a devilish horn.

It's linked to the nuchal ligament, a crucial ligament that helps anchor the neck muscles to the skull. The effect that the EOP has on the top of the nuchal ligament is very similar to that of an anchor. Let's get back to the original purpose of the study, which was to examine x-rays taken by chiropractors of patients aged 18-86. Since many of these x-rays were looking into things like neck pains, doctors wanted to get a modern perspective on how bones evolve over time. What potential effects these shifts may have on our health is another consideration.

The EOP seems to be more common among young people, according to Shahar, and Sayers. Their conclusion: poor posture while checking phones and tablets is a big contributor to children's and teens' screen time. The natural response of the neck is to craw forward. Craning one's neck forward is thought to exert stress on the junction of the skull and the muscles around it. The effect, also known as text neck, occurs because the EOP lengthens to make up for the shortfall. The funding also showed that its prevalence was higher in males.

Based on a sample size of 218, Shahar, and Sayers found that 67% of men had a larger EOP than women. By 2018, they had examined 1200 persons, and while men appear to be at five times greater risk for these huge text necks, the possible impact on society is unclear.

The possible link between phone radiation and cancer has received a lot of attention, but can heavy smartphone use truly lead to serious health issues?

This new paper has sparked discussion on the matter because it is the first time that specialists have pointed out the negative effects that technology is having on our health. According to Shahar and Sayers, the prolonged EOPS is a degenerative process, therefore young people's lives will only get worse if they continue using electronic devices.

Similar to the debilitating symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome, thumb troubles, known as "text thumb" or "thumb arthritis," can arise from excessive thumb use. However, some members of the press have criticised the study of EOPS and the use of terms like "horns" and "spikes" to describe them. Experts note that the report does not provide definitive answers and, like with any scientific paper, relies on a number of assumptions.

According to archaeologists, longer skull bones are nothing new and are more typical in males. The overall consensus among the study's detractors is that there isn't sufficient evidence to support the allegation that cell phone use is literally transforming you into Hellboy.

Is there something to Shahar, and Sayers' theory, or have they merely taken known data and manipulated it to fit their own narrative? In any case, technology has had profound effects on our society. There is a fundamental problem with the concept that future generations are changing because of their continual connection with their technology.

Future archaeologists are the ones who will have to make that decision. Who knows, maybe in the future they won't even have those huge spikes protruding from the rear of their necks. So, maybe you should spend more time in the park and less time playing Angry Birds.