A 20-year-old university student in Taiwan has been diagnosed with a condition commonly referred to as “Text Neck” after years of excessive smartphone use.
Dr. Yeh Tsung-Hsun, a neurologist at Yuan Rong Hospital in Yuanlin, revealed that the young woman sought medical attention after experiencing persistent headaches and severe stiffness in her neck, which had become “as hard as stone.”
Medical examinations, including an X-ray, showed that her cervical spine had lost its natural curve, and in certain areas, the vertebrae even showed signs of slippage.
According to Dr. Yeh, the condition—nicknamed “Text Neck”—is becoming increasingly common among young people who spend long hours hunched over mobile devices.
He told Needtoknow: “Her story reflects the reality facing countless young people today
“Hours spent every day looking down at phones, binge-watching shows, and playing games, until their bodies cry out in pain, forcing them to confront the seriousness of the problem.”
Explaining the risks of poor posture, Dr. Yeh noted that tilting the neck forward at a 60-degree angle—a common position while using smartphones—places an estimated 27 kilograms of pressure on the cervical spine.
