Laptops are one of the most convenient tools we have for working, online shopping, and surfing the web — they are easy to carry, use on the go, and bring with us when we wish to take a break from the desk, and hotdesk from the sofa, or bed.
The trouble is, as helpful and harmless as laptops may seem, they carry with them a number of significant risks to our health and wellbeing. It is important that we are educated on the dangers of using laptops on our laps, and that we take the proper steps to ensure that we mitigate the risks when working on these devices.
Read more about the top 5 reasons why you should stop using your laptop on your lap, and why ensuring that you have the proper EMF protection in place will help you and your household to remain safe and well.
EMF Radiation
Electro Magnetic Fields (EMF) from electronic devices like laptops pose a still largely overlooked threat to our health and wellbeing, both inside the home, at work, and when we’re on the go. These invisible fields are emitted by many of the commonplace, electrically-charged objects we tend to take for granted, but can result in many negative side effects for humans and pets.
Computers — particularly when they are connected to WiFi — are responsible for a great deal of the harmful EMF radiation found in our homes and businesses, and without EMF protection, you and your loved ones are at risk as we are all regularly exposed to much higher doses of EMF than previous generations.
Keeping devices that emit these electromagnetic fields very close to your body only increases your exposure, and thus your risk of experiencing the harmful side effects, including fatigue, irritability, depression, as well as far more serious long-term health concerns. Laptops then, should definitely not be on your lap!
Poor Posture
As comfortable as working from the sofa may be, it is one of the worst choices you can make for your spine. Slumping, or sitting with your shoulders hunched forward, can put a lot of pressure on your back — and working with a laptop will cause you to remain in this position for long periods of time, which can cause serious problems if it is a regular part of your routine.
Aim to keep your laptop away from the sofa, and use it on a flat surface that allows you to sit (or stand) upright when using it. Take regular breaks, and set yourself a deadline for using it — when work is over for the day, don’t bring the laptop with you.
Insomnia
You may already know that the screens of electronic devices release ‘blue light’, which has been shown to impede the production of melatonin, which is a hormone necessary for regulating our circadian rhythms and allowing us to fall asleep — and wake up — with ease.
Although many jobs make it impossible to avoid the computer during the day, bringing your laptop with you onto the sofa — or even your bed — will mean that you are probably exposing yourself to blue light well into the evening, making it much harder for your brain to unwind, and prepare for sleep.
Given that insomnia is also one of the most common short-term side effects of exposure to EMF, this only compounds the situation, making it even harder for you to feel rested. In addition to EMF protection for your home, consider downloading an app to remove blue light from your screen, or better yet, shut your laptop when it gets dark.
Leaving your computer at the desk is a good way of ensuring that you are giving your eyes a break during the evening.
It Can Damage Your Skin
Laptops generate heat, and if you are using one on your laps for an extended period of time, you could be causing unnecessary damage to your skin. ‘Toasted skin syndrome’, or erythema ab igne, is a documented side effect of exposing the body to the heat generated by a laptop. It can develop with sustained exposure to heat and, while it is possible that it will go away after the habit has been broken, the effects can be permanent.
Over time, this can cause significant damage to cells, which has been reported to increase your risk of developing skin cancer.
It Can Cause Damage to Your Reproductive Organs
Keeping your laptop on your lap means that it is in close proximity to your reproductive organs, for considerable lengths of time, and research has demonstrated that the EMF emitted by laptops can have a detrimental effect on male fertility.
Furthermore, raised temperatures can also have a negative impact on male fertility; studies show that the optimal conditions for sperm are around 20°C, and that using a laptop on your lap will raise the temperature in a short space of time. What seems like only a slight rise in temperature can have a significant impact on the quality and production of sperm, and anyone hoping to conceive should consider putting some extra distance between their laptop, and their body.
Conclusion
Hopefully you can see why you should not only reconsider having your laptop on your lap, but why it’s important to think about though these sorts of devices impacting our health generally and how EMF protection products are a smart investment in today’s technologically saturated world.
