Back pain, vision problems, injuries related to the use of the mouse. These are some of the risks, already documented, of intensive use of computers in the long run. But the number of injuries related to the use of computers is increasing rapidly.
The number of injuries caused by the home use of computers has multiplied more than seven times, according to a study by the pediatric hospital center in the city of Colombo, USA – which is dedicated to the investigation of accidents and child injuries.
According to the study, more than 78,000 people were admitted to hospitals in the United States with injuries caused by trips, encounters and falls from equipment, between 1994 and 2006. About 93 percent of injuries occurred inside the home. Monitors are the main cause of serious injuries.
Over the 13 years of study, the number of injuries has increased by 732 percent – more than double the growth in the purchase of computers for home use in the country.
Children under five are the age group most affected by this type of domestic accident, mainly due to trips and falls. Almost a third of accidents in 2002, for example, involved children and adolescents under the age of 15, the study noted. The elderly, from the age of 60, are another risk group.
