How saying ‘cheese’ too often can land you in trouble

Be it for keeping up with the social media trend or just to gain prominence online, the trend of taking selfies is becoming an epidemic among millenials.
How saying ‘cheese’ too often can land you in trouble

BENGALURU: Be it for keeping up with the social media trend or just to gain prominence online, the trend of taking selfies is becoming an epidemic among millenials. The negative impacts are out there and being stressed enough. However, discussions about the risk of body dysmorphic disorder are also being highlighted.

Selfies are now affecting not just mental but also the physical health of people. The possibility of physical harm from selfie addiction was not paid as much attention to as its psychological effects. However, the cases of physical harm from selfies have also started to come up now in the name of ‘selfie wrist’, which is being reported to be on the rise. It is a form of carpal tunnel syndrome, which occurs when nerve becomes pressed or squeezed, leading to a burning or tingling sensation and even numbness at times. The median nerve stretches from the forearm to the palm of the hand and runs through a narrow passage in the wrist, which is called the carpal tunnel.

People who experience selfie wrist mostly go through tingling or sharp pain while flexing the wrist inward or due to holding the phone for a long time without any movement. Selfie wrist is similar to an overuse injury that takes place when a person is continuously taking selfies by flexing their wrists inwards. The repeated stress develops a painful sensation in the wrist. American media personality, Kim Kardashian also revealed that she had been diagnosed with selfie wrist.

Another reason for the rise in selfie wrist has been with the ‘story’ feature on social media platforms, which has urged youngsters to capture everything around them and post it on their profiles. This is being observed mostly among youngsters who are new to corporate industries or are just starting to work.

The author is senior consultant-orthopaedics,Columbia Asia Hospital Whitefield

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The New Indian Express
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