SILICONVALLEY SYNDROME

SILICONVALLEY SYNDROME

LUMOback

sil•i•con val•ley syn•drome [sil-i-kon val-ee sin-drohm]

Physical or mental health symptoms arising from the way we use - or abuse - technology.

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Isn’t it interesting how much we Information Age human beings identify with the technology we use? We see ourselves as Apple people or Android people, “early adopters” or uber-connected execs. We twitch with anxiety when we misplace our phones or can’t get a connection for a moment.

As we see it, though, that twitch is a sign that we might be missing the point. We love technology and the ease it brings to our lives as much as the next guy (we are founders of a Silicon Valley tech company, after all). But we’ve realized that in addition to technology serving as a smart extension of our bodies and minds, there are a number of ways in which tech-savvy people are using and abusing technology, resulting in harmful health effects and setting us up for a series of health pandemics in the not-so-far-off future.

We call this Silicon Valley Syndrome: a collection of physical and mental health symptoms that arise from the way we use, overuse or flat-out abuse technology. IIn a recent survey we

conducted, a whopping 60% of Americans said they have had some physical symptoms or health issues arising out of their use of technology or sitting at a desk.

So, we dug deeper, asking more questions to fully understand who is facing Silicon Valley Syndrome and what they are doing to try to address it. This Guide reveals the shockingly wide scope of the problem, and how it is manifesting in the lives and bodies of heavy tech users like us - and like you.

Fortunately, that’s just the beginning of the story.

Our mission at LUMO is to create products and surface insights to give our bodies a voice and hope for solutions to the 21st century health challenges we face. So read on. We hope you’ll find not only a deeper understanding of how technology is harming your health, but also some surprisingly simple steps you can take to build a healthy habit and healthy body without ditching your laptop, phone or career.

Co-Founders of LUMO BodyTech

Friends,

Monisha Perkash Charles Wang, MD Andrew Chang

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SILICON VALLEY SYNDROME

How The Way We Use Technology is Harming Our HealthTechnology has impacted almost every area of human life: our families, our work, our play. In a survey, we asked Americans how their use of technology was impacting one of the most important elements of our lives: our health. Here’s what they said:

West Coast residents feel the health effects of using technology or sitting at a desk more than their East Coast Counterparts.

Women were more likely to say they have experienced health problems related to the overuse of technology or sitting at a desk than than men.

Headaches

Eye Strain

Neck Pain

Back Pain

Upper Back Pain

Lower Back Pain

Wrist Pain

Carpel Tunnel Syndrome

Insomnia

Other

24%36%27%30%12%24%21%11%9%2%

WESTcoast

NORTHeast

60% experience health problems related to the use of technologyor sitting at a desk

66% 53%

Health Issues

42% 31%

Eye Strain

33% 26%

Neck Pain

28% 20%

Back Pain

63% 56%

To Alleviate Health Problems from Using Tech or Sitting at a Desk...

18-34 year olds were 3 times as likely to reduce tech time as the older Generation Rx.

Older Americans were twice as likely to take meds as the younger Generation Self-Control.

Generation Self-Control Generation

3x 2x

Source: Survey conducted by Harris Interactive for LUMO Body Tech in Sept 2013 among 2019 American adults.

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Over a career, this translates into over 5 years of life sitting at work.

There are over 100 million* computer workers in the United States.

On average, LUMOback data shows people sit for

48,360hoursover a 30 year career.

6.2hoursduring a 9–5 work day.

8AM

STRAIGHT

SLOUCH

9AM 10AM 11AM 12PM 1PM 2PM 3PM 4PM 5PM

The Afternoon Slouch

* Source: Survey conducted by Harris Interactive for LUMO Body Tech in September 2013 among 2019 American adults.

THEHIGHCOST OF TECH OVERUSE

On Your Body...

is spent annually on American workers’ comp due to repetitive stress injuries.

cases of computer-related eye strain are reported each year.

of Americans said they have neck pain as a result of their use of technology.

away from work

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome involves a median

Low back pain is the most common cause of work-

related disability in people

$20 Billion

is spent in the U.S. on lost productivity, employee turnover, and other indirect expenses.

computer professionals have some computer-related health problem.

Americans send and receive

Computer workers perform up to

In an 8-hour work day, desk workers sit

text messages a day on average.

keystrokes a day on average.

hours a day on average.

$100 Billion

10 Million27%

28 DAYS

Under 45

41 6.2200K

On Your Business...

3 out of 4

Sources: LUMO Body Tech user and survey data, Pew Center for Research, United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, UCLA Ergonomics, American

Optometric Association, Indian J Community Med. 2009 October; 34(4): 326–328LUMOback

THE NEXT GENERATION

50% 32

9,000,000 young people could be affected with serious musculoskeletal disorders from tech use before they even join the workforce.

of university students suffer pain or discomfort associated with the

use of computers.

The number of hours an average pre-schooler spends every week

looking at a screen.

Sources: Boston University Occupational Therapy, Minnesota Department of HealthLUMOback

HEALTHY HABITSFOR

TECH USERS

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Do it. Now. Seriously. You might have heard by now that sitting is the new smoking, but you might not have heard why: for every hour of sitting, researchers say you lose 22 minutes off your life. If you work at a computer every day, you can minimize the health harms of sitting by simply setting a goal to stand up 2 times every hour.

Pick one day a week to give your body and mind a rest from the continual, low-level stresses of constant connectivity. Many people pick Saturday or Sunday. If you can’t forego the device usage entirely off for a full day, consider whether you can do a mini-Sabbath during your Saturday morning run or Sunday brunch with your friends.

One of our mantras at LUMO is that the best movement you can make is the next movement you make. Moving is essential, and moving as much as possible throughout the day solves for a number of the health problems associated with sitting too much, repetitive movement ailments and other symptoms of technology overuse.

With people! Don’t mistake online “friends” with real-life relationships. Make an effort to connect with those you care about offline, and to put your phone away while you’re with them. Checking texts or Facebook while you’re walking, during meals or during other in-person activities can be dangerous to your body—and your relationships.

If you start working early or late, chances are you don’t get enough natural light in the course of the day - and too much bright screen light at the hours your body needs to wind down. This is a common cause of tech-related sleep disorders. Get moving and pamper your circadian rhythms by taking a 20-30 minute walk in natural sunlight every day.

Checking email and social media the second your eyes open in the morning is a sign that you might have unhealthy habits. Consider putting a boundary in place where you don’t check email before a certain time of day—and you power all devices down an hour or two before you hit the hay at night. Try it.

stand up

Digital Detox

Move More

connect

Get Outside

Boundaries

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If you believe you are dealing with a case of Silicon Valley Syndrome, chances are good that your first instinct is to Google “back pain” or “eyes hurt from using computer.” Some would tell you the cure to what ails you is to simply stop using your laptop and gadgets - period. But beyond a vacation, it can be nearly impossible to live your life and get all your obligations met over the long run without using the tech tools that have caused your problem.

Fortunately, there are a number of smart ways to use your go-to technologies to actually resolve many of your Silicon Valley Syndrome symptoms.

DIGITAL CURESFOR

SILICON VALLEY SYNDROME

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ReduceTech time

Track yourself

digital coaches

We all know that gadgets can be addictive. If you’re trying to retrain yourself to reduce the amount of time you spend checking your phone, email or Facebook, try using some technological trainers to help you change your own habits. Plug your wi-fi power cord into an inexpensive shutoff timer to make it much more difficult to work or check email after bedtime.

Similarly, KeepMeOut.com allows you to block yourself from visiting those time-suck sites you find particularly addictive - it’s a great way to kick the habit, so you can retrain yourself into healthier surfing habits.

At LUMO, we like to say that you can’t change what you can’t measure. Harness the power of technology to track any and everything that might be causing your own personal Silicon Valley Syndrome symptoms, from the length of time you spend sitting to the length of time you spend looking at a screen.

The LUMOback sensor tracks a number of these things for you effortlessly, including:• how long you sit• time standing, walking and running• your time lying down• the calories you burn every day• your number of stand-ups.

There are hundreds of digital tools that can actually prompt you to take an action that can minimize the health impacts of your tech usage. LUMOback is named after your smart posture coach, LUMO, who actually mirrors your posture in real time on the app and turns orange and sad when you break out of correct posture. Reviewers at Oprah, the WSJ and Fox Business have all mentioned wanting to

make LUMO straight as the reasons they felt their posture improve while wearing LUMO.

Examples of other coaches are apps like Big Stretch and Stretch Clock which prompt you to take regular work breaks during which you can do everything from stretch to take a walk.

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Stand tall and sit well using the LUMOback™ posture and activity feedback system. The sensor provides a gentle vibration when you slouch from your lower back. It is worn around your waist and designed to be slim, sleek and so comfortable that you barely feel it when you have it on.

When synced with your smartphone, the LUMOback app tracks your steps, time spent sitting, calories burned, and even your sleep habits. Anyone can use LUMOback. It’s simple and integrates into your daily routine.

Watch how LUMO works at LUMOback.com

BROUGHT TO YOUBY LUMO