I would like to preface this post by saying, “I love my iPod.â€Â You probably do too, and want to kill me for naming it ergonomic nightmare of the week. But the things we love and use most are the things of which we should be most careful, ergonomically speaking.
Loud music and portable electronics are nothing new…at least, not that new. Almost limitless hours of booming audio and crystal clear video neatly packaged in a sleek, futuristic portable gadget IS something new.
Unfortunately, addiction to this sexy device comes with a price:
The sound produced by an iPod can exceed 115 decibels, a volume which is dangerous to be exposed to for more than 28 seconds.
A study by the National Acoustic Laboratories in Australia last year found that a quarter of people surveyed were listening to music on headphones at potentially dangerous levels.
The length of time you listen to your iPod isn’t a problem as long as the volume is turned down. However, even listening at 85 decibels - the level above which normal conversation is difficult - is risky.
Ipod thumb is said to be caused by the hand movements that are required to work the wheel in order to navigate the long lists of songs and artists.
According to Carl Irwin, from the British Chiropractic Association, “the action needed to move the wheel on an iPod is totally unnatural and effectively separates the joint in the thumb every time you use it.â€
Professor Peter McCluskey, an ophthalmologist at the University of NSW and Liverpool Hospital, “there’s reasonable evidence that looking at a small, close target increases your likelihood of developing ocular symptoms - those of eye strain, headaches, dryness of eyes and blurry vision.”
“Focusing on a small screen for an extended length of time is a possible cause of the increasing number of shortsighted children and teenagers, he adds.â€
You have to look at the device when you’re using it and the visual distraction that occurs is likely to be greater than when you’re answering or dialling a mobile phone.
iPods can also distract other road users like pedestrians and cyclists, says Dr Suzanne McEvoy, a senior research fellow at the University of Sydney’s George Institute for International Health.
I agree. I hate - HATE my ipod’s wheel.
I’d heard great things about the wheel mechanism before I bought but after using it for a few minutes I already hated it.
It’s frustrating as h to use even when I can devote my attention to the screen to see where the current selected item is… but if I’m driving - forget it! the thing is too sensitive for me at times - and at others, not enough.
the position is horrible - which isn’t too hard to believe, since just about every tv remote has a similar habit of putting the most used buttons closest to the palm, which forces you to hold the thing with pinky and palm.
well, that’s what happens when people design by committee.
lol… seriously, who cares?
a) i’m not sure why I read this
b) this is exactly why I find blogs utterly ridiculous
c) if thumb injury due to ipod usage is your big concern I think it’s time for a reality check
d) ear damage due to portable media device usage has been a known factor for ages. Nothing new there. Most people never gave it a second thought in the 80’s with the walkman and associating it with the ipod is not going to get anyone to pay attention now.
> b) this is exactly why I find blogs utterly ridiculous
I concur. also people who spend valuable time commenting in blogs about how ridiculous blogs are, are by definition even more ridiculous. ipso facto etc etc.
Thanks for all the lively discussion on this post. This is an ergonomics blog, so sometimes we discuss seemlingly minute issues like the shape and size of buttons ad nauseum… But I think it is still worth while to have these discussions because after all we do spend most of our time interacting with gadgets and widgets. It is important to be aware of our evolution with technology.
It is all too easy to avoid discussion…but then we find ourselves years later adapting to awkward things (like the QWERTY keyboard) that cause endless pain and suffering, and could have been prevented with some lively discussion about product design and ergonomics.
Hi…Man i love reading your blog, interesting posts ! it was a great Tuesday
Thanks for sharing!
Ergonomie & Kantoorinrichting
Greetz