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Could Your Blackberry Be Damaging Your Thumbs?
Sammy at Palm Addict writes "According to the BBC, Regular Blackberry use 'could damage thumbs', experts warn. Trendy handheld Blackberry devices could cause damage to users' thumbs, doctors are warning. Sales of the £200 gadget, which can be used to email, page and phone, have boomed in recent years with celebrities such as David Beckham using them. But US and UK doctors said repetitive use could cause arthritis or harm tendons in the thumb. Research in Motion, which manufactures the Blackberry, said it would not comment on the claims."
And years ago I got a GyroMouse which required the right thumb to press mouse buttons and was definitely less strain that the index finger pushing down all the time. Maybe I should be glad I'm back to an old-stlye mouse. Meanwhile, how about millions of people using their thumbs on all those Game Boys and such? Are we headed for an epidemic of arthritic thumbs? It could make tobacco settlements look tame.
celebrities such as David Beckham using them.
He doesn't need his thumbs anyway.
A feeling of having made the same mistake before: Deja Foobar
The finding seems to be about the difference between thumbs and fingers, and the fact that thumbs are not designed to be tapping away for prolonged period.
However, why is it targeting Blackberry only? I would imagine this HP4350 and many other devices will give similar problems.
Next time they'll find most Roman emperors died of Occupational Overuse Syndrome because they kept using their thumbs on gladiators or lions.
Rock that crushes, Paper & Scissors that don't matter.
Next thing they'll be saying is "smoking causes cancer." Give me a break with your "science!"
How is this any different from any other mobile device, remote control, game controller, or similar item which has buttons we press repeatedly?
(First Post?)
"Everything you know is wrong. (And stupid.)"
Moderation Totals: Wrong=2, Stupid=3, Total=5.
...andmythumbsarefine.Justlook,Ihavenoproblemswith typing.
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People damage thumbs.
Infuriate left and right
Seems they took a lot of time and effort to basically say...
"Using your thumbs a lot might make them sore at some point in time."
Like someone else mentioned, its silly that are focusing on one product that will cause this. Almost makes you wonder who got the idea to do this article.
If you know what I mean.
Seriously, doctors in the UK need to take chill pill. It seems every day some Royal Academy of Whatchamacalit is pontificating on the dangers of everything.
Seems a bit nuts to go all Doomsday about this when kids use their thumbs 6 hours a day playing console video games... and when their thumbs hurt, they stop. You don't see GenXers walking around with crippled thumbs, do you?
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1) A handful of researchers think that using your Blackberry "repeatedly" might cause thumb damage.
2) There have been no reported cases of said damage yet.
That's pretty much it. A lot of "The Blackberry could..." talk, but little else.
Because it only has one big button.
There's nothing Intelligent about Intelligent Design.
then i'm sure there would be reports of thumb problems in asia, especially japan, where people compulsively send SMS and emails using their cellphone/joystick. just take a ride in a japanese commuter train - since actually talking on the phone is considered disruptive and a public nuisance, people either text-message or play games on their cellphone.
uhh....yes. Do I get a prize?
Seriously though. I love these "could x be harmful?" articles, the answer is always yes. If you do too much of ANYTHING it will be harmful. With that out of the way maybe we can stop jumping up and down and screaming what about the children every time one of these articles comes out...