Back or elbow pain? You might be gaming too much on your phone

A new study has found a strong association between mobile gaming addiction and musculoskeletal pain, with addicted students more than three times as likely to report neck pain and more than four times as likely to report elbow pain. Mobile gaming may be taking a physical toll on young people, according to new research that links problematic gaming behaviour with significantly higher rates of pain in the neck, upper back, elbows and wrists. As gaming becomes an increasingly routine part of young people’s digital lives, a few more breaks — and perhaps a little less time hunched over a phone — could matter for physical health as well as digital wellbeing, researchers say. The study surveyed 364 medical students at universities in Jordan and examined whether mobile gaming addiction was associated with musculoskeletal problems. About 9% of the students — 34 people — met the study’s criteria for mobile gaming addiction. The differences in reported pain were particularly striking in parts of the upper body commonly involved in prolonged handheld-device use. Among students classified as addicted, 85.3% reported neck pain, compared with 65% of those who were not classified as addicted. Upper-back pain was reported by 64.7% of addicted students, compared with 55% of their peers. The gap was even wider for elbow pain: 41.2% of addicted students reported it, compared with 12.5% of those who were not addicted. Addicted students also reported more wrist and hand pain — 41.2% compared to 34%. The study found that students with gaming addiction were also more likely to report that musculoskeletal problems interfered with everyday activities, including studying and hobbies. Some were more likely to have sought medical attention for pain affecting their wrists and hands, hips and knees. Prolonged mobile gaming can also create an ergonomic problem: holding a phone for extended periods can involve sustained gripping, fixed arm and neck positions and repetitive movements. The authors argue that gaming should therefore not be viewed solely as a question of screen time or psychological wellbeing. The researchers call for greater awareness of digital health, ergonomic education, posture training and behavioural changes among students. Universities could incorporate guidance on breaks, device positioning and healthy gaming habits into student health programmes, particularly for groups spending long periods studying or working on screens.