No, Teenagers Are Not Growing ‘Skull Horns’ Because of Smartphones

More than a year ago, a pair of Australian researchers published a paper in Scientific Reports to little fanfare. In it, they noted that a surprising number of young people were developing bone growths on the backs of their skulls. The researchers posited that this was due to the amount of time they spent looking down at screens. Then, this month, the BBC cited the paper in a story about modern life’s impact on the skeleton. And within a matter of days, headlines from across the globe reported that teenagers were growing horns. The paper is noteworthy, in that it potentially reflects one way our physical bodies may be adjusting to our ever-present gadgets. But the implications likely aren’t as terrifying as those headlines suggest. What the Research Actually Found In 2016, University of the Sunshine Coast professors David Shahar and Mark Sayers found that, out of 218 people ages 18 to 30, about 40% had a bone growth near the base of the skull called an “enlarged external occipital protuberance,” or EEOP. They built on that in the 2018 study by examining X-rays from 1,200 people, ages 18-86. In that study, a third of the X-rays showed growths. People ages 18 to 30 were the most likely to have an EEOP, which surprised the researchers, who write in the study that they’d expected older adults to have the highest risk. What About Phone Use? In theory, constantly tilting your heavy head forward to look at screens, instead of holding it upright as it&#...
Source: TIME: Health - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Uncategorized Research Source Type: news