Claw-like hands, smaller brains, and 90-degree elbows? It sounds as ridiculous as it looks, but these researchers suggest it’s possible
CERRITOS, Calif. — Hunched back, clawed-hands, and second eyelids could be common features of human anatomy in the future, a recent computer model reveals. The shocking, hopefully tongue-in-cheek report warns that overusing technology could somehow steer human evolution in a direction that leaves people looking deformed compared to what we consider normal today.
There’s no question technology now plays a constant role in the lives of many people, but what is all that screen time really doing to the human body? Researchers worked with a 3D designer to create images of a “future human” that accounts for all of the problems long-term tech use may cause. Though StudyFinds takes a neutral stand on the content we post and leaves it to our readers to debate or debunk, we certainly can’t help but raise an eyelid…or two…on these images. After all, how could this creature be the result of natural selection?
Specifically, they were inspired by a poll that found the typical American uses the Internet for seven hours a day. With that in mind, the team factored in a wide range of scientific studies and expert opinions examining the physical and mental changes that come from consistent exposure to smartphones, laptops, and television. The results were shocking.
Hunched-back humans
The research project, commissioned by TollFreeForwarding.com (yes, really), led to the development of the 3D model, named “Mindy.” Researchers predict that office work and craning the neck to look at smartphones will lead to humans having a hunched back in the future. Currently, many people consistently adjust their position to look down at their phones, or to look up at their office screens. Studies show that this strains parts of the body that affect posture.
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“Spending hours looking down at your phone strains your neck and throws your spine off balance. Consequently, the muscles in your neck have to expend extra effort to support your head. Sitting in front of the computer at the office for hours on end also means that your torso is pulled out in front of your hips rather than being stacked straight and aligned,” says Caleb Backe, a health and wellness expert at Maple Holistics, in a statement from TollFreeForwarding.
Text claw and elbow problems
One of the most noticeable changes is the development of “text claw,” a new term that describes how the hand starts to permanently take the shape of a claw due to constantly holding a smartphone. Future humans may also evolve to have a 90-degree elbow thanks to the excessive use of cell phones to make calls. This condition would leave the elbow permanently bent at a 90-degree angle.
“The way we hold our phones can cause strain in certain points of contact – causing ‘text claw’ and ’90-degree elbow’ also known as the cubital tunnel syndrome,” says Dr. Nikola Djordjevic from Med Alert Help. “This syndrome is caused by pressure or the stretching of the ulnar nerve which runs in a groove on the inner side of the elbow. This causes numbness or a tingling sensation in the ring and little fingers, forearm pain, and weakness in the hands – keeping the elbow bent for a long time.”
Will humans grow a second eyelid?
Interestingly, the model of Mindy predicts that humans may end up developing a unique defense against too much blue light from digital devices — a second eyelid.
Previous studies have found that blue light exposure can disrupt sleep patterns, leading to insomnia and other health problems. Excessive screen time can also lead to headaches, eye strains, and even poorer vision — especially among children.
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“Humans may develop a larger inner eyelid to prevent exposure to excessive light, or the lens of the eye may be evolutionary developed such that it blocks incoming blue light but not other high wavelength lights like green, yellow or red,” says Kasun Ratnayake from the University of Toledo.
Tech neck and smaller brains
Finally, “Mindy” reveals that future humans will likely suffer from a serious case of “tech neck,” where the muscles grow to limit the damage due to poor posture. Moreover, Mindy’s skull is thicker to help protect the human body from damaging radiofrequency waves allegedly coming from smartphones.
Studies show that a sedentary lifestyle can reduce human brain capacity. With that in mind, Mindy also has a smaller brain than present-day humans. Additionally, all of these can lead to future humans being more vulnerable to mental health conditions like anxiety and depression, according to the researchers.
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“Technology gives us so much. Convenience, connectivity, entertainment, and so much more – but there is a trade-off. Overexposure to technology can sometimes come to the detriment of our health, and Mindy is our visual representation of a growing body of scientific research,” says Jason O’Brien, COO of TollFreeForwarding.com. “While the benefits of technology to individuals and businesses are too great to ignore, it’s worth evaluating your usage to ensure your health isn’t being damaged in the long-term.”
Editor’s Note: Based on many comments, it seems that there are plenty of readers who have no idea that StudyFinds does not take a position on any body of research it publishes, as unbelievable as some of the reports may seem to the average reader. The report above, very clearly, comes away with an extreme prediction. Though our writers individually may heavily disagree with or may heavily agree with a story, they must still present the findings to the reader as presented by the researchers. Our content is intended to stir debate and conversation, and we always encourage our readers to discuss why or why not they agree with the findings. We do not receive any compensation from the researchers, marketing firms, or anyone else behind the research for the content we post. We share who commissioned research (who paid for the study not to StudyFinds, but to the people who completed the research) to give additional transparency to the reader so that they can weigh that in their conclusions about the report. If you heavily disagree with a report — please debunk to your delight in the comments below.
Girls in the future do not wear bras, so it can’t be all bad.
Evolution will be successful in making us turn into Karens and Kens. My evidence is Tayler.
Being health conscious is trendy & a constant concern with younger people, so I wouldn’t doubt that tech corporations will use it as a marketing tool in the future. When the brain chips or computer glasses become a thing, they’re probably gonna be advertised as being better for your posture, and stuff like that. And the gen z’s are gonna eat it up, as they should lol
Technology evolves faster than biology. Long before humans have adapted to current tech, it will have changed so much that the changes mentioned in the article will no longer be advantageous.
Devolving into apes as a result of human tech. I love it!
Thank you for such courage for this article! It is simply a warning that there should always be a corresponding responsibility to assess the implication of the so called ‘ progress or advancement’ in technology. Does it’s benefit outweighs the price?
So dumb. Who is going to have sex with someone who looks like that?! Rofl
For behavioral and physical habits to influence our genetic makeup it needs to meet two basic conditions, 1-A consistent pattern of modes of mobility, clutching and texting
2- these habits have to be the same over a long period of time. In this case long period mean thousands of years. So to suggest that hundreds of years from now we would still be interacting with mobile devices the way we do today is ridiculous. To say nothing about how software and AI would evolve in the distant future. So no. I don’t think we’ll have claws, or hunches.
You can’t “evolve” into “deformed” bodies. A deformation is something that is different than normal. Evolution is a change in what is normal. Just like we are not “deformed” versions of humans 1mil years ago. If we evolve into this, regardless of how or why, then that is what we evolve into. “Technology” is as much a part of “nature” as anything else and we, as a species, will change to work with it over the millenia. For better or worse.
Nice set though. Would still smash.
In addition to being inconsustent with the mechanism of evolution and passing down genes… technology changes quickly…who knows if we will even be using smart phones in the future….. a future in evolutionary terms that takes 10s if not 100s of thousands of years yo manifest.
Complete nonsense.
And for what its worth….bringing it closer to home…. I find potential mates who are attached to their electronic devices 24×7 to be annoying…unappealing and less likely that I would want to reproduce with them…as I bet so do many others…so I could equally and stupidly argue that the exact opposite evolutionary traits will be passed down to drive human evolution….lol.
The edits to the article are a ridiculous attempt to hide that StudyFinds iriginally turned a half-serious though experiment into a “ThIS iS wHAt HUmaNS WiLl EvOLvE INtO” piece for views.
The original “research” that StudyFinds claims it is oly presenting made it VERY clear immediately that this was just to show how technology can affect human health and posture, that this was not to be taken literally, and that the quotes from professionals are essentially “so what would you add to the human body to compensate?”
“Body of research” Lol ok StudyFinds
It just doesn’t work that way
A chance mutation that gives you a second eyelid would not give you a reproductive advantage. In fact, you might be weeded out by sexual selection for being ugly.
This is the dumbest thing I’ve ever seen. Currently taking bio classes in college. Lamark’s theory of acquired characteristics (that your physical traits are passed to offspring) was proven false by Darwin’s natural selection. Nothing in the image gives someone a better shot at having children, heck it’s an evolutionary disadvantage right now. Unless most of humanity decides clawed hands and hunched backs is attractive
Evolving to use modern tools does not disfigurement make…
Sigh.
I thought this sort of nonsense went out with Lamarck.
This assumes technology stops progressing and we use phones forever…
My thought exactly. Phones will be a thing of the past with the emergence of augmented reality. Eventually everything will be in a heads up display like browsing, texting, and phone calls. We will no longer slouch down to read texts but see them real time thru glasses or digital contacts. By the year 3000 technology would have already advanced over 100 fold
I thought that way about mask .First ears would fade off from the hook band like attachments around the ears .Were all gonna become aliens . Hunch backs included clawed hands also
You’re not getting the point of the tongue in cheek story.
But is it not true that people’s body shapes are changing quickly by eating fast food whilst being sedentary all the time,bums are getting larger, body fat increasing,eyesight getting worse,more earlier onset of depression in children,more mental health problems,bullying and trolling because people are remote from one another, sleep patterns messed up I could go on.this is happening more to the lower classes and I would think it’s directly connected to technology especially smartphones and on line gaming