The ‘tech neck’ time bomb: why 43 million young Americans could cripple U.S. health care within a generation

In approximately 20 years this nation will face a medical crisis so widespread and so debilitating, that it has the potential to harm America’s health care economy. It will likely affect the vast majority of nearly 43 million Americans who demographers currently call Gen Alpha (10 to 12 years old) and Gen Z (12 to 18 years old). The irony is this disease could have been preventable had there been a candid recognition of the coming crisis and a comprehensive health and well-being program implemented nationwide in our schools. The culprit? What we currently call “tech neck” is usually described as neck pain, severe stiffness, discomfort, and spinal curvature caused by the excessive use of smartphones, laptops, and computers. One merely has to observe any social gathering of young people to recognize their coming health crisis in the years ahead. Head down, shoulders hunched, and fingers flying on a keypad with the intensity of an individual suffering from an addiction. (In fact, researchers suggest that 63% of adolescents display what they suggest is “smartphone addiction,” evidenced by the need to have a constant connection to social media.)_ With that reality, if even a fraction of those 42 million Americans develop significant spinal issues as they approach middle age, the effect on U.S. medical costs will be substantial. Their care would require substantial increases in rehabilitation services, possible hospital attention, and long-term care. Insurance systems (both private and public) would face an unprecedented increase in claims, potentially leading to higher premiums and/or a rationing of benefits. The building crisis is already becoming evident. Epidemiology studies show that 73% of university students and 64.7% of workers from home have neck or back pain. Nearly 40% of them claim to be less productive due to neck or low back pain With today’s inpatient rehabilitation costs ranging from $19,360 to a stunning $443,040 per patient, the economic implications fro