You’ve probably heard to use good posture if you’re in front of a computer for any stretch of time. Well, those were the good old days; now we have tiny devices that are even worse for our neck, shoulders, back and even our attitudes. Amy Cuddy a psychologist, lecturer and author wrote in her book Presence:
“…the smaller the device, the more we must contract our bodies to use it, and the more time we spend in these shrunken inward postures, the more powerless we feel.
Our findings uncover a cruel irony: while many of us spend hours every day working on small mobile devices, often with the goal of increasing our productivity and efficiency, interacting with these tiny objects, even for short periods of time, might reduce assertiveness, potentially undermining our productivity and efficiency.
If you must spend long stretches in front of a screen, which many of us do, be sure to choose a device carefully and configure your space to allow for the most upright and expansive posture.”
If you’ve never seen Amy’s TED talk “Your body language shapes who you are,” please set aside some time (21 minutes) to watch, it’s definitely worth it.