James A. Roberts's Blog

I have a friend, let’s call her Camille Rose, who shared a story that represents the depths people will go to retrieve their smartphones. Camille was on a commercial airline flight from Dallas, Texas to Minneapolis, Minnesota when she heeded the call of nature and used the shoe closet they call a bathroom in Coach. This, however, was not to be your typical visit to a bathroom at a cruising altitude of 23,000 feet.

As Camille lifted herself off the seat in the cramped bathroom, her smartphone slipped from her back pocket and fell into the commode. Panic set in instantly. One flip of the lever and her phone (no, her life) would be jettisoned while in the middle of the friendly skies over Kansas City. Not to be deterred, and determined not to lose her phone, she discussed her options with the nearest flight attendant.

She was told, not surprisingly, that this was not the first time this has happened. The attendant mentioned that she had the paper-thin plastic gloves she used for serving drinks and snacks that Camille could use if she wanted to try and fish her phone from the toilet. After some soul searching and discussion with the flight attendant and several passengers, Camille steeled herself for what was ahead.

I will spare you the sordid details of digging with a thinly veiled hand in the toilet of a commercial airliner, but suffice it to say she did retrieve her phone (and life) from the toilet of flight # 4724 from Dallas, TX to Minneapolis, MN. Word quickly circulated about her plight and she emerged from the bathroom to a resounding round of applause. Everyone was also more than happy to let her have her own row of seats for the remainder of the flight.

Here’s an article that will help all stay focused on what really matters!

http://www.corpmagazine.com/break-roo...

Click the link below to hear my conversation with BYU public radio on how we relate to our smartphones and what that means for our happiness:

http://www.byuradio.org/episode/224b3...

Exclaiming that your smartphone can sometimes be a “real pain in the neck” has never been truer. Text neck is a condition that is caused by lowering your head so you can send texts, surf social media, or check out prospective dates on Tinder. Lowering your head adds considerable pressure on your spine which can lead to wear and tear, degeneration, and even surgery. Looking straight ahead, your gourd puts about 10 to 12 pounds of pressure on your spine. At a 15 degree tilt, the pressure increases to 27 pounds, 30 degree downward tilt and we’re talking 40 pounds of extra pressure, 45 degrees and the pressure on your spine is up to 49 pounds. At a 60 degree tilt, you are putting on a whopping 50 additional pounds of pressure on your spine compared to when your head is screwed on straight. I am not suggesting we abolish smartphones but we do need to be careful how we use them. My thumbs already hurt from typing this message

The above study was conducted by Kenneth Hansraj, MD, and was published in Surgical Technology International (2014).