Kids too plugged in?

The bottom line of CNET's article on whether too much tech use can harm kids' necks, thumbs, backs, etc., is that there is way too much we don't know about it. "Some physical therapists and pediatricians are already citing cases of RSI [repetitive stress injuries] in children as young as 8 years old" and "a study from 2000 in Australia on the effects of laptop computers in schools showed that 60% of students aged 10 to 17 complained of neck and back discomfort while using the PC," CNET reports. On the other hand, "a theory called the 'Healthy Worker Effect' supposes that when someone performs a repetitive task for a long time, like lifting heavy boxes or surfing the Web, the person can develop a resistance to problems associated with the activity." So another "bottom line" comes to mind: Until we know more, moderation is a good thing. Meanwhile, a reality check: The San Francisco Chronicle describes in detail the tech-related life of Daly City, Calif., high school senior Nathan Yan, adding that "if the amount of time Nathan spends on the computer seems unusual, it's not.… Young people reported spending about 6-1/2 hours per day occupied with various media" from the Net to TV, with TV use losing out to Web use among teens (here's my coverage of the Kaiser study last year).