Lakhasly

Information technology can pose a number of physical, mental, and cognitive health risks. For instance, a common occupational disease today is repetitive stress injury (RSI). RSI occurs when muscle groups are forced through repetitive actions that are often made with high-impact loads (such as playing tennis) or tens of thousands of repetitions under low-impact loads (such as working at a computer keyboard). The incidence of RSI is estimated to affect as much as one-third of the labor force and ac- counts for one-third of all disability cases.
The single-largest source of RSI is computer keyboards. The most common kind of computer-related RSI is carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS), in which pressure on the median nerve through the wrist’s bony structure, called a carpal tunnel, produces pain. The pressure is caused by the constant repetition of keystrokes. Symptoms of CTS include numbness, shooting pain, inability to grasp objects, and tingling. Millions of workers have been diagnosed with CTS. In the United States and most other developed countries, CTS affects an estimated 1 to 3 percent of the general population in any given year (Sevy and Varacallo, 2022).
However, RSI is avoidable. Designing workstations for a neutral wrist position (for example, using a wrist rest to support the wrist), proper monitor stands, and footrests all contribute to proper posture and reduced RSI. Ergonomically correct keyboards are also an option. These measures should be supported by frequent rest breaks and rotation of employees to different jobs.

RSI is not the only occupational illness computers cause. Back and neck pain, leg stress, and foot pain also result from poor ergonomic designs of workstations. Computer vision syndrome (CVS) refers to any eyestrain condition related to display screen use with desktop computers, laptops, e-readers, smartphones, and handheld video game players. CVS affects about 90 percent of people who spend three hours or more per day using a display screen. Its symptoms, which are usually temporary, include headaches, blurred vision, and dry and irritated eyes.
Much has also been written about the challenges that the Internet, mobile apps, and social media pose for mental health, particularly that of children and young adults. The impact of the increase in screen time and time spent with digital devices during the Covid-19 pandemic has further highlighted this issue. Potential negative impacts include increased exposure to negative online social interactions (cyberbully- ing, feelings of missing out, and social comparisons); reduced physical activity; sleep disruption; isolation from in-person contact; and the possibility of Internet/social media addiction. The topic remains controversial, however, with one recent study of 430,000 UK and US adolescents finding little evidence for an increased association between adolescents’ technology engagement and mental health problems over the past 30 years (APS, 2021).
Information technology also may be harming our cognitive functions or at least changing how we think and solve problems. Although the Internet has made it much easier for people to access, create, and use information, some experts believe that it is also preventing people from focusing and thinking clearly on their own. They argue that excessive use of computers and smartphones reduces intelligence. Some scholars believe that exposure to computers encourages looking up answers rather than engaging in real problem solving. People, in this view, don’t learn much while surfing the web or answering email when compared to listening, drawing, arguing, looking, and exploring. In addition, increased reliance on various forms of artificial intelligence (see Chapter 11) may be impacting our power to make decisions based on our own judgments (Moser, den Hond, and Lindebaum, 2022; Carr, 2015).
The coming metaverse may also present new physical and mental health chal- lenges. The metaverse is a visual, three-dimensional (3-D) virtual reality that some believe will be at the center of the future web. It will move the Internet beyond 2-D screens and toward an immersive 3-D experience. The Spotlight on Technology case explores the risks that the metaverse may pose.
Informaton technology has become part of our lives—personally as well as socially, culturally, and politically. It is unlikely that the issues and our choices will become easier as information technology continues to transform our world. The growth of the Internet and the information economy suggests that all the ethical and social issues we have described will be heightened as we move further into the first fully digital century.