The Chartered Society of Physiotherapy warns of people becoming “screen slaves” 

People are risking their health by working on smartphones, tablets and laptops after they have left the office, according to the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy.

It says people have become “screen slaves” and are often working while commuting or after they get home. The society said poor posture in these environments could lead to back and neck pain – people needed to learn to switch off their devices.

An online survey, of 2,010 office workers by the Society found that nearly two-thirds of those questioned continued working outside office hours. The organisation said people were topping up their working day with more than two hours of extra screen time, on average, every day. The data suggested that having too much work and easing pressure during the day were the two main reasons for the extra workload.

While doing a bit of extra work at home may seem like a good short-term fix, if it becomes a regular part of your evening routine then it can lead to problems such as back and neck pain, as well as stress-related illness.

“This is especially the case if you’re using hand-held devices and not thinking about your posture. By the time someone is so overloaded they constantly feel the need to put in extra hours every night of the week at home, things have clearly got out of hand. Individuals who find themselves unable to leave their work in the office should talk to their managers and learn to switch off their smartphones.”