Survey by posture app company LUMO BodyTech reveals women and West Coast residents are the most likely to experience this ‘Silicon Valley Syndrome’; eye strain, back pain and neck pain are leading complaints
60% of Americans Have Health Problems From Using Technology and Desk-sitting
Tara-Nicholle Nelson, 510-910-6713
LUMO BodyTech, the makers of the LUMOback smart posture and movement feedback system, today announced national survey results revealing a widespread phenomenon LUMO calls ‘Silicon Valley Syndrome’. The survey revealed that 60% of Americans report having had health problems as a result of their use of technology or sitting at a desk.
The survey explored:
The study was commissioned by LUMO BodyTech and conducted online by Harris Interactive® in September among 2,019 U.S. adults ages 18 and older.
“At LUMO, our mantra is that you can’t improve what you don’t measure,” said Monisha Perkash, LUMO Co-Founder and CEO. “Because our mission is to improve the health of humanity in this digital era, we think it’s critically important for everyone who uses technology gadgets - at home and at work - to understand what this data says about technology and our health and to use this data as a call to action to adopt healthier tech usage habits.”
The survey revealed a number of details around how people are experiencing Silicon Valley Syndrome, including the following insights:
Other key survey findings include:
“Technology is not evil - in fact, it has made all of our lives easier and more enjoyable,” said LUMO Co-Founder and psychiatrist Charles Wang, M.D.” “But if we continue the trajectory this survey reveals of abusing technology to the detriment of our health, as usage continues to increase, it will become increasingly critical that we use it mindfully. Otherwise, we could be in for a series of pandemic level health crises over the next 20 or 30 years.”
“This is why we’ve published this Guide to Silicon Valley Syndrome,” Wang said, “which includes tips for how to set and achieve goals around building health habits for using technology, and for using tech itself to help counteract the problem.”
Along with today’s survey data, LUMO has published a Guide to Silicon Valley Syndrome including:
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This survey was conducted online within the United States by Harris Interactive on behalf of LUMO BodyTech between September 9 and 11 , 2013 among 2,019 adults ages 18 and older. This online survey is not based on a probability sample and therefore no estimate of theoretical sampling error can be calculated. For complete survey methodology, including weighting variables, please contact .
Founded in 2011, LUMO BodyTech uses smart sensors and software to help people improve their health. LUMOback, the company’s first product, is a wearable sensor and smartphone app for posture, which impacts back pain, fitness, confidence, and appearance. LUMO was founded by Stanford entrepreneurs Monisha Perkash, Dr. Charles Wang and Andrew Chang and is backed by Madrona Ventures, Eric Schmidt’s Innovation Endeavors, and Jerry Yang’s AME.