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Future humans will have deformed bodies and a 'second eyelid' due to overuse of tech

You, my friend, are using too much technology.

It’s time to put down the smartphone, game controller or TV remote and step away from the screen.

Or else, you could end up looking like Mindy here.

Mindy has been constructed as a vision of our future selves. She’s what we all might end up looking like because we’re all too addicted to our screens.

A research project commissioned by TollFreeForwarding.com employed a 3D designer to come up with Mindy based on common tech-related problems.

Things like spending all day in a chair hunched over a keyboard or constantly looking down at the phone in our hands.

They reckon it’ll lead to humans having a hunched back, clawed hand and – weirdly – a second eyelid which could be used to protect us against blue light.

Here’s the full list of afflictions we can expect to come our way:

‘Spending hours looking down at your phone strains your neck and throws your spine off balance,’ said Caleb Backe, a health and wellness expert at Maple Holistics in a statement issued alongside Mindy’s terrifying visage.

‘Consequently, the muscles in your neck have to expend extra effort to support your head. Sitting in front of the computer at the office for hours on end also means that your torso is pulled out in front of your hips rather than being stacked straight and aligned.’

That one seems rather obvious, but lets dive into a few of Mindy’s other symptoms. 

Text Claw

Over time, the fingers on our hands could change because they’re so used to clutching a phone.

A recently coined condition, ‘text claw’ occurs after consistently gripping your smartphone, curling your fingers round into an unnatural position for long periods of time.

Over time, the fingers on our hands could change because they’re so used to clutching a phone.

A recently coined condition, ‘text claw’ occurs after consistently gripping your smartphone, curling your fingers round into an unnatural position for long periods of time. 

‘Take my strong hand’ (Credit: TollFreeForwarding.com)© Provided by Metro

Dr. Nikola Djordjevic from Med Alert Help expanded on the problem: ‘A few years ago, mobile internet usage surpassed desktop, and we now hold the internet in our hands.

‘However, the way we hold our phones can cause strain in certain points of contact – causing “text claw,” which is known as cubital tunnel syndrome.’

This same issue is what’s causing Mindy’s arm to be bent at 90 degrees at the elbow.

‘This syndrome is caused by pressure or the stretching of the ulnar nerve which runs in a groove on the inner side of the elbow,’ Dr Djordjevic said.

‘This causes numbness or a tingling sensation in the ring and little fingers, forearm pain, and weakness in the hands. Keeping the elbow bent for a long time – most often, while holding your phone – can stretch the nerve behind the elbow and put pressure on it.’ 

Tech neck

This is why posture is so important (Credit: TollFreeForwarding.com)© Provided by Metro

Returning to Mindy’s posture, the effects of technology on the neck have also given rise to a new condition – aptly named ‘tech neck’. In an article for Health Matters, Dr. K. Daniel Riew from the New York-Presbyterian Orch Spine Hospital, broke down exactly what tech neck is:

‘When you’re working on a computer or looking down at your phone, the muscles in the back of the neck have to contract to hold your head up.

‘The more you look down, the harder the muscles have to work to keep your head up. These muscles can get overly tired and sore from looking down at our smartphones and tablets or spending the majority of our working day on computers.’

Second eyelid

This is a bizarre one, but future humans could become so affected by blue screen light that we adapt to counteract it. 

Well, this is just creepy (Copyright: TollFreeForwarding.com)© Provided by Metro

Kasun Ratnayake from the University of Toledo, spoke to the researchers to suggest that a ‘second eyelid’ may develop over time.

‘Humans may develop a larger inner eyelid to prevent exposure to excessive light, or the lens of the eye may be evolutionary developed such that it blocks incoming blue light but not other high wavelength lights like green, yellow or red,’ he said. 

How to avoid becoming Mindy

The ways to avoid an inevitable slide into a Mindy-like future are obvious and oft-stated: take regular screen breaks and prioritise exercise in your daily routine. 

Drop the screen time in favour of some exercise (Credits: Getty Images)© Provided by Metro

Of course, employers have their part to play too.

Adding initiatives to get employees not just off their seat, but actively exercising would go a long way.

‘Exercise is an obvious way to reduce stress and improve health and wellbeing for anybody, but it also inadvertently limits the use of technology as well, explained Jason Kay, CEO of Retreaver.

‘If employees spend some portion of their day exercising, then that is a welcome relief from technology.

‘Businesses can promote exercise by either buying equipment for the office or offering free gym memberships to their employees. Healthy employees will always be a benefit to any business as it helps create a positive and productive mindset.’

Reference: Metro: Jeff Parsons