A study of university students has demonstrated a link between heavy smartphone use, forward head posture, and neck pain. The work, published in the International Journal of Medical Engineering and Informatics, highlights growing concerns about the physical costs of constant digital connectivity among young adults.
The researchers surveyed 404 students in Malaysia aged between 17 and 30 years old in what is referred to as a cross-sectional study. In such a study, data are collected at a single point in time rather than over an extended period of months or years. The students, 216 male and 188 female, completed an online questionnaire detailing their smartphone habits and any physical problems they experienced, such as backache or neck pain.
The team’s statistical analysis revealed that those using their smartphones for prolonged periods tended to have a forward neck posture and suffer neck pain. The analysis suggests that just 1 per cent of those had neck pain purely by coincidence and that it was unconnected to posture and smartphone use.
The cervical spine has seven vertebrae that support the head and protect the spinal cord. Forward neck posture describes the common position adopted while looking down at a phone, in which the head tilts forward and downwards. This posture increases the effective weight borne by the neck, placing added strain on muscles, ligaments, and joints. Over time, such strain can lead to irritation of soft tissues, cause nerve compression, and even affect the natural curvature of the spine detrimentally.
Although the study does not establish cause and effect, the strength of the association and its consistency with previous research point to the obvious conclusion that forward head posture during smartphone use is a modifiable risk factor for mechanical neck pain. Given that this problem is reportedly on the increase among younger people, the suggestion is that a little education and guidance on posture and reducing smartphone use would be well placed to preclude an epidemic of chronic spinal problems in this demographic.
Antoniraj, S., Hassan, H.C. and Baleswamy, K. (2026) ‘Forward neck posture on cervical pain among university students: effect of smartphone addiction’, Int. J. Medical Engineering and Informatics, Vol. 18, No. 2, pp.198–205.
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