Have you ever played a game or scrolled on your phone for hours, then looked up and noticed your eyes burning, your head aching or your thumb feeling stiff? What do you think caused that? Hold that thought.
Computers, tablets and phones are great tools, but using them for a long time, or in the wrong way, can hurt your body. A health hazard is anything that could cause harm to your health. The good news: most of these problems are easy to avoid once you know about them.
In this post:
- The main health hazards of using computers and devices
- Simple ways to protect yourself
- A matching activity and a short quiz
The hazards, one by one
| Hazard | What you might notice | How to avoid it |
|---|---|---|
| Eye strain (impaired vision) | Tired, dry, sore or blurry eyes after staring at a screen | Follow the 20-20-20 rule, blink often, keep the screen an arm’s length away and avoid glare |
| Backache | Pain or stiffness in your back or neck | Sit back in the chair with good posture, and get up and stretch regularly |
| Wrist pain | Sore wrists after typing, using a mouse or gaming | Keep wrists straight and relaxed; take breaks |
| Repetitive strain injury (RSI) | Aches, tingling or stiffness in fingers, hands, wrists or arms from doing the same small movements over and over (typing, clicking, texting) | Take breaks, change activities, stretch your hands, and do not grip the mouse or phone too tightly |
| Carpal tunnel syndrome | Numbness, tingling or weakness in the thumb and first fingers, often worse at night. It happens when a nerve in the wrist gets squeezed | Keep wrists straight, take breaks, and tell an adult and see a doctor if it does not go away |
| Headache | A pounding or heavy head after long screen sessions | Take breaks, drink water, reduce glare and do not sit too close to the screen |
| Computer addiction | Feeling you cannot stop gaming or scrolling, losing sleep, skipping homework or time with family and friends | Set time limits, keep devices out of the bedroom at night, and make time for sport, hobbies and people |
| Radiation from mobile phones | Nothing you can feel. Phones give off weak radio waves to talk to cell towers | Scientists are still studying long-term effects, so play it safe: use earphones or speaker for long calls and do not sleep with your phone under your pillow |
| Hearing loss from loud volume | Ringing in your ears or sounds seeming muffled after loud music | Keep the volume at about 60% or less, and give your ears quiet breaks |
Image source: File:RSI-symptoms.jpg (Wikimedia Commons)
Watch: computer health and safety
This video was made for people who use computers at work, but every tip in it works for students too. As you watch, write down three hazards it mentions and one way to avoid each.
Video: Computing Health and Safety – ExplainingComputers – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T8qGO7XQ0Uw
Activity: match the symptom to the hazard
Try it: What is the hazard?
Read what each student says, then choose the hazard that best matches it.
| “My eyes feel dry and blurry after I watched videos all afternoon.” | |
| “My lower back aches after sitting slouched at the computer all evening.” | |
| “My thumb and first two fingers go numb and tingly, especially at night.” | |
| “My fingers and forearm ache after hours of texting and gaming every day.” | |
| “I play games until 2 a.m. and get upset when I am told to stop.” | |
| “After listening to loud music in my earphones, I hear a ringing sound.” | |
| “My head starts pounding after a long time staring at the bright screen.” |
Think, pair, share
On your own, list every device you used yesterday and roughly how long you used each one. Then, with a partner, pick the two hazards from this post that you are each most at risk of, and agree on one change you will make this week. Be ready to share with the class.
Self-check quiz
Self-check quiz
Click the best answer. You get feedback straight away; only your first click counts towards your score.
1. What is a health hazard?
2. Which problem is caused by doing the same small movements over and over, like typing or texting?
3. Carpal tunnel syndrome affects which part of the body?
4. What is the best way to protect your hearing?
5. Which is a sign of computer addiction?
6. Which habit helps prevent eye strain?
Related posts on islandclass.org
- Computer Hazards – fuller notes on each hazard, with a video
Next: Staying Safe Around Computers and Phones
Syllabus link: Forms 1–3 ICT curriculum, Module 1, Objective 1.2 – identify possible health hazards associated with computers and computer-related devices.
Attributions to media used in this post:
- RSI-symptoms.jpg – Olimane – CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
- Video: Computing Health and Safety – ExplainingComputers (YouTube)
Updates
2026/10/21
– Fixed the activity code so its buttons keep working.
© 2026 Vedesh Kungebeharry. All rights reserved.