The following editorial appeared in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on Monday, Aug. 28.

In his 2010 book I Live in the Future & Heres How It Works, the technology writer Nick Bilton relayed anecdotes about early 19th-century anxieties in Britain at the dawn of train travel. It was thought that people would asphyxiate if carried at speeds of more than 20 mph and reputable scientists believed that traveling at a certain speed could actually make our bones fall apart. So far, that hasnt happened. While adjusting to the future is often alarming, as Bilton illustrated, humans find a way to cope.

A recent article in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette drove that point home. Doctors have identified the condition of text neck, found most often in teenagers and young adults who stare down at their smartphones for two to four hours a day. An orthopedic surgeon quoted in the article advises people to simply take a break from that thing. If that proves unrealistic, theres a Pilates class geared for teenagers, which includes a focus on overcoming text neck. The instructor noticed that four girls in a recent class could not drop their heads in a relaxed position during the exercises a clear sign of TN.

It is beyond doubt that the proliferation of digital devices is changing the way people process information: smaller gulps from wider sources, less sustained attention. When you can pry your hands from your own smartphone for a minute, go ahead and wring them over this decline in intellectual capacity. But the endurance of the human species is testimony to its remarkable ability to adapt. And theres one constant: Each generation is horrified by the decadence of the one following.

The fork ratings are based primarily on food quality and preparation, with service and atmosphere factored into the final decision. Reviews are based on one unsolicited, unannounced visit to the restaurant.

See the original post here:
The Daily News | Watch your neck: Physiology and the advent of the ... - The Daily News Online