03-22-2010, 12:00 PM

Teen gets carpal tunnel from texting, wants iPhone
Teen gets carpal tunnel from texting, wants iPhone | Technically Incorrect - CNET News

16-year-old Annie Levitz from Mundelein, Ill., began to sense a little disharmony in her hands. They would feel tingly, numb, or merely hurt like ****. Had she been practicing her free throws in preparation for March Madness? Had she been attempting to become Mundelein's Chopin? If only. Levitz had merely been texting her friends up to 100 times a day.

Finally, she went to the doctor, who diagnosed her not with text dependency, but with carpal tunnel syndrome.

This unfortunate message came with the stipulation that she must wear a brace on each hand and enjoy cortisone injections. She also has to endure surgery. Worse than all of that, of course, is the embarrassment. She told ABC News: "It's painful, first of all. It's embarrassing wearing the braces, and having people know--it's not the greatest."

Levitz has also had to cut down on her habit, though she has been unable to go cold-texting-turkey. She gritted her teeth while admitting to ABC News that she is down from 4,000 texts a month to 2,000.

She believes, though, that there might be a cure. Not for the texting, but for the carpal tunnel--an iPhone. "I do think that since it's touch it won't be as rough on my hands," she said.

So there it is, a new market for the Apple's greatest invention. The iPhone should unquestionably target carpal tunnel teens, perhaps with the line: "It might numb your mind, but never your hands."

4000 texts a month. Wtf?? That's like 133 texts a day in a 30 day month. That's insane. I think soemone needs to ne told no more phone for you. And iphone won't cure that kind of addiction.

03-22-2010, 01:06 PM

You've gotta figure that sending that many messages (unless they're counting incoming also) consumes at least 2 hours a day. Wonder what her grades were last term... ?

03-22-2010, 01:06 PM

Thats ridiculous, then she cut it down to 2000 a month. Thats still a huge addiction

03-22-2010, 02:36 PM

I send/receive between 1500 to 2000 text messages a month. I'm in law school with pretty good grades and I participate in lots of extracurricular activities, so 2,000 messages isn't exactly debilitating in any manner.

04-04-2010, 02:02 PM

The number of text's in a month isn't really a good measure of....idk what the words I'm looking for are, honestly.

Something to consider though, playing video games. Same basic hand movements between a cell phone and a PS/Xbox controller. Oh noes.....could be new lawsuits for carpal tunnel against the entire electronics industry!!! <rolls eyes>

04-04-2010, 05:05 PM

Originally Posted by OnlyTimeWillTel

....could be new lawsuits for carpal tunnel against the entire electronics industry!!!

Only time will tell.

04-04-2010, 05:15 PM

Originally Posted by OnlyTimeWillTel

Oh noes.....could be new lawsuits for carpal tunnel against the entire electronics industry!!! <rolls eyes>

<shakes head>

When will people start to take responsibility for there own actions ... Coming from Australia im amazed at what the rest of the world will *SUE* for. Dont get me wrong does happen here but NOT in the way it does other places.

We are becoming ....... Well i really dont want to think about that.

@ the story. What where her parents doing to not encourage this. She is 16 so my guess is she started earlier than than that.....

Come on parents, please look after your children. They are the future of this world and they deserve better. Please be there guardian, you bought them into this world so PLEASE PROTECT THEM

TM

04-04-2010, 05:31 PM

I don't think you people understand... 133 texts a day is actually pretty low. Most people I know have a minimum of about 300. I'm not even sure why this is news.

04-04-2010, 05:44 PM

I dont' do that much texting anymore. Mainly because my friends and I all have full-time jobs and don't have that much time to text throughout the day. That won't stop carpal tunnel from setting in from all the typing I do all day though.

I'm fearing the day when I get pain in my wrists/fingers.

04-04-2010, 05:49 PM

Originally Posted by December

I don't think you people understand... 133 texts a day is actually pretty low. Most people I know have a minimum of about 300. I'm not even sure why this is news.

And what world do you live in ??
Link me somewhere where it says 133 txt msg's a day is pretty low.
A minimum of 300 .. Hmmmm Thats 12.5 a hr over the whole day. Dont your friends work ?? If i had a employee that was like that, they would be in my employ anymore.

TM

04-04-2010, 06:53 PM

Originally Posted by toMACsh

Only time will tell.

Verily!!!

Originally Posted by TattooedMac

<shakes head>

When will people start to take responsibility for there own actions ... Coming from Australia im amazed at what the rest of the world will *SUE* for. Dont get me wrong does happen here but NOT in the way it does other places.

We are becoming ....... Well i really dont want to think about that.

@ the story. What where her parents doing to not encourage this. She is 16 so my guess is she started earlier than than that.....

Come on parents, please look after your children. They are the future of this world and they deserve better. Please be there guardian, you bought them into this world so PLEASE PROTECT THEM

TM

I fully agree. It is utterly redicoulous how unaccountable people in this country are. Suing because we spill HOT coffee on ourselves, suing because we lock ourselves in fast food bathrooms, suing because of "distress" because of something you heard in public... Yeah...it is stupid in so many ways. Hence the sarcasm of my post...granted the sarcasm is a little hard to convey in text lol

Originally Posted by todd51

I don't do that much texting anymore. Mainly because my friends and I all have full-time jobs and don't have that much time to text throughout the day. That won't stop carpal tunnel from setting in from all the typing I do all day though.

I'm fearing the day when I get pain in my wrists/fingers.

Pain in the hands and wrists royally sucks. I was in an accident at the end of high school that has left me with a lot of problems in my hands and wrists. I feel for those with CTS

04-04-2010, 08:33 PM

I rarely text myself. At the most I would text maybe a total of 20 times a month.
And honestly, I rarely do it unless its a cute girl

But texting is kind of dumb to me. It takes like 2 seconds to say whatever it is your texting.
Anyway back to the thread.
If I were her parents, I'd get rid of her cellphone. I mean, I'm sorry... that is just ridiculous.