If you thought using smartphones and tablets has changed your life completely, think about this. It has even changed the way you sit, stand or slouch.
The office furniture maker Steelcase surveyed 2000 office workers in 11 countries and found out that there are 9 new postures which have their origins in our smartphone and tablet usage. The 9 postures may not seem particularly new but they certainly are of importance because people usually do not use these postures when they are at work in an office.
Here are the 9 postures:
The Draw: This is the position in which you draw a device closer to yourself, along with the desk, when you need to introspect or think. Certainly not a great position for that nagging lumbago, I must say.
The Multi-Device: This posture speaks for itself. This is when you speak to a friend on your iPhone and browse on the tablet at the same time.
The Text: This is when you bring your arms closer and text with both hands without bothering to see what is around you.
The Cocoon: This is when you lay on your back or rest, and draw the tablet or smartphone to your thighs so that you can indulge in your digital habits in a cocooned position.
The Swipe: This is when people sit on their work chairs, keep the tablet at a distance on the table and swipe along in order to browse. One of the safest postures, I am sure.
The Smart Lean: This is my favorite posture when I lean back or to my side just a little bit so that people around me do not see what I am doing on my phone. A posture that encourages secrecy and clandestine digital activities.
The Trance: This is loosely the posture that leaves you in a trance staring at the screen for hours. It must particularly be common among those who stare at their screens without blinking.
The Take It-in: This is when you play a video on your computer when the boss is away, and recline back on your chair and simply watch it, without having a worry about being caught.
The Strunch: One of the worst postures for your back and neck muscles. The Strunch is when you push the device further away from the edge of the work table and lean against the table hoping to kill that nagging back pain.
Based on the research, Steelcase has announced ‘Gesture’, a chair that claims to ensure that all the 9 different positions are taken care of, without causing any postural problems. The chair will be available in the U.K. later this year.
