The Effects Technology Can Have on Human Bodies科技對人體的影響

From checking social media every minute to being lost in computer games， we tend to overuse technology. “For many people， a moment without your phone or laptop in sight can feel like a lifetime，” the Daily Mail commented.

A computer model called Mindy may persuade many people to think twice. A team from the US-based company Toll Free Forwarding built a three-dimensional model to uncover the negative effects technology can have on human bodies in less than 800 years.

“Spending hours looking down at your phone strains your neck and throws your spine off balance，” explained Caleb Backe， a health and wellness expert in the US. Then， the muscles in our neck need to spend extra effort to support the head， making our back hunched and neck wide.

每時每刻查看社交媒體、沉迷于電腦游戲，從這些行為現象可以看出，人們越來越依賴科技。《每日郵報》評論道：“對許多人來說，如果身邊沒有手機或筆記本電腦，一分鐘就像一輩子那么漫長?！?/p>

然而，一個名為“明迪”的計算機模型提醒大家面對現代科技時要保持警惕。來自美國Toll Free Forwarding公司的一個研究小組制作了一個未來人類的3D模型，該模型揭示了科技在不到800年的時間里可能對人體產生的負面影響。

美國健康與保健專家凱勒·巴克解釋道：“長時間低頭看手機會拉傷頸部，使脊柱失去平衡?！边@時，頸部肌肉就需要身體其他部位的肌肉協助支撐頭部，從而造成駝背，頸部也會變得寬大。

“The way we hold our phones can cause strain in certain points of contact， causing text claw，” Nikola Djordjevic， a practicing physician in Serbia， told the team. It affects the elbows too， causing pain in the arm. Scientifically， it is called cubital tunnel syndrome. That’s why Mindy has a 90-degree elbow， and her hands look like she’s always holding a mobile phone.

Some people commented that human evolution may not work this way. They believe that only features with actual benefits would be kept throughout the years， for example， features that can increase the rate of survival， instead of the negative impact of technology.

However， current human lifestyles still raise concerns. A model called Emma was built by researchers in the UK in 2019 to show how the way people work at their desks could change them in 20 years.

The research team built Emma based on the health issues mentioned by over 3，000 workers in France， Germany and the UK. Emma’s back stays bent， and her legs are swollen due to the time people spend in front of computers. With little time spent outdoors and in the sun， her skin is pale， too.

來自塞爾維亞的執業醫師尼古拉·喬爾杰維奇告訴研究小組：“我們拿手機的方式會讓手部的部分肌肉產生壓力，造成‘手機手’?！蓖瑫r也會影響肘部，導致手臂疼痛，科學上稱之為“肘管綜合征”。這就是明迪模型的肘關節呈90度的原因，而且她的手部彎曲，看起來像是一直拿著手機。

有人認為，明迪模型并不能反映未來人類的進化方向。他們認為人類反而會隨著進化過程逐步優化，例如，保留提高生存率等有益特征，淘汰技術帶來的負面影響。

然而，人類目前的生活方式仍然令人擔憂。2019 年，英國研究人員制作了一個名為“艾瑪”的人類模型，展示了人類當下在辦公桌前工作的方式，在20年后可能會對人體產生的影響。

研究小組根據法國、德國和英國3 000多名工人提到的健康問題制作了“艾瑪”。由于長時間面對電腦，艾瑪的背部彎曲，雙腿腫脹；而極少參加戶外活動和曬太陽，也讓她的皮膚很蒼白。

Word Bank

strain /stre?n/ v. 拉傷；損傷

He strained his back during a practice session.

swollen /'sw??l?n/ adj. 腫脹的

Her eyes were red and swollen from crying.