Laptops are considered to be life savers. They come to rescue when the project has to be presented the next day and the work begins the day before. They are saviors when you are at home and the electricity is off. They also are good company when travelling. Be it for the light weight, the mobility or the sleek look, laptops are quite a rage.
But there is the other side of the laptops that is quite challenging. The design of laptops is not very user friendly. The very use can lead to bad posture that brings in pain in the neck, back, frequent headaches. For already compulsive about work, laptops can cause more workaholism.
There are these things about laptop that are absolutely bad:
- The screen and the monitor are fixed together. Ergonomically it is a bad combination. When the screen is at an eye level, then the keyboard is at the chest level which puts pressure on the shoulders and arms. When the screen is placed on the desk, then the keyboard is taken care of but you would have to stoop your neck to look at the screen which affects your neck.
- The keyboard is too small and leads to awkward movement of the fingers.
- There is no support for the wrists.
- Laptops heat up quickly and cause harm to skin if rested on the legs or on the lap.
- When carried from one place to another by a one shoulder bag, laptops can cause a cold shoulder. The weight of the laptop can cause strain on the back and legs.
You might still say that these are small things that you got used to and now are even comfortable with. But in that case, you are also used to the frequent cold shoulders, sore arms, neck and back aches. Bad posture also causes frequent headaches and a feeling of giddiness and numbness in fingers.
Right way to use the Laptops:
- Not on your lap: Yes, even if they are called laptops it is better that you don’t rest laptops on your laps. The high temperature of the laptop is known to cause severe blisters on the skin and a research by European journal Human Reproduction in 2004 shows that the rise in temperature near the groin can lead to 40% decrease in the synthesis of healthy sperm.
- Keep Hands happy: Make sure you have given enough support to your arms and that your arms lie horizontal and not unsupported. Also keep your wrists in a neutral position and keep your hands relaxed.
- Avoid the glare: Keep your laptop in such a position that there are glares from the windows and lights.
- When travelling: Avoid using one sided bags. Instead opt for rucksacks and trolleys.
- Angle the screen: Adjust the screen so as to feel the least amount of neck strain.
Use docking station: It is a device that converts your laptop into a desktop computer. It is has different slots for USB, printer and other connections and also comes with external keyboard and mouse. The best feature is that you can adjust the height of the screen as per your requirement.
What to look out for, when choosing a laptop
Screen size: If the screen is too wide, it will be less mobile and if the screen is too small then it will be difficult to read and will have a smaller keyboard that makes typing even more difficult. So go for something that lies in the middle range.
Weight: You might look at the size of the laptop and choose a lighter one but even the light notebooks have other heavy components like the charger, external mouse, spare battery and external drives that add to its weight. So look for the overall weight too.
If the weight is manageable then choose a bag which is sturdy and has good straps. If it is more than 4.5 kg then opt for ‘pull along laptop’ bag.
Tips for Long time users:
- For people who use laptops for more than 2 hours, they should try to use the docking station or at least an external mouse.
- Place the laptop such that it is just below the eye level.
- Your back should be supported and as you sit your thighs should be slightly sloping and lower than the hips
- You should take mini breaks, when you stretch your neck, rotate your arms and bend to touch your toes and relax your eyes.
Laptops are made to be convenient and user friendly, if we change few things as to how we use them, they can really serve us better, and not be a pain in the neck. Quite literally.
