Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Viral Study Concluding That Young People Are Growing 'Horns' From Cellphone Use Isn't Telling The Whole Story

Viral Study Concluding That Young People Are Growing 'Horns' From Cellphone Use Isn't Telling The Whole Story
Hero Images/Getty Images



A recent viral article from the BBC has people everywhere checking themselves for "horns," or bone spurs.

The article, titled "How Modern Life Is Transforming The Human Skeleton," described subtle ways the human skeleton is adapting to our modern lifestyles.


Many simply latched on to the description of young people developing enthesophytes, or bony protuberances, at the base of their skulls.

These bone deposits are a bit more common among older people but have, until recently, been rare in younger folks.

David Shahar, health scientist at the University of The Sunshine Coast in Australia, noted that he has only seen this feature in his patients recently.

"I have been a clinician for 20 years, and only in the last decade, increasingly I have been discovering that my patients have this growth on the skull."

The human head is quite heavy, and the particular posture associated with mobile device use places those heavy heads in an awkward position, possibly contributing to this condition.

Shahar thinks that the development of these extra bits of bone may be our bodies' way of handling the extra wear and tear on our necks.

The study, done by Sahar and fellow biomechanics expert Mark Sayers, examined x-rays of the head and necks of 1,200 people aged 18-86 from the same chiropractic clinic.

Sahar and Sayers examined a point at the back of the skull that anchors one of the ligaments that helps us hold our head up, called the external occipital protuberance, or EOP.

They found that males were more than 5 times more likely to have an enlarged EOP, and a follow up study in 2016 with a smaller sample confirmed this.

Their studies did not directly attribute this enlargement to mobile device use, however.


Contrary to what many are saying on social media, mobile device use isn't the only thing that can cause these particular bone deposits.

Strongmen from the Mariana Islands, who often carry heavy weights on poles held across their shoulders, also tend to have these growths.

It is believed that they develop to help support strong neck and shoulder muscles the men develop from carrying the weights.

Some on social media reacted quite strongly to the possibility of developing bone spurs.


Some mentioned some of the other detriments that can result from regular technology use.

Others decided humor was the way to go.



This is a great example of the importance of having all the facts before jumping to conclusions.

There is a definite possibility that cell phone use may well be contributing to this condition, but there are also many other environmental factors that may be involved.

The bottom line, however, is that nobody is going to be growing a set of horns any time soon.

But if you had your heart set on horns, you can get them with headphones!

You can with the unicorn, available here.

Amazon

Or go a little more devilish, with devil horn headphones, available here.


More from Trending

Screenshot of Claudia Sheinbaum; Donald Trump
@davidrkadler/X; Scott Olson/Getty Images

Mexican President Perfectly Mocks Trump With Proposed Name Change For U.S.

After President-elect Donald Trump pitched changing the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the "Gulf of America," Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum trolled him in a press conference, giving him a valuable history lesson backed by a very old map.

Earlier, Trump, who bashed Mexico as a “very dangerous place” that was “essentially run by the cartels," said:

Keep ReadingShow less
Kylie Jenner; Demi Moore
Amy Sussman/Getty Images, Michael Buckner/GG2025/Penske Media via Getty Images

Fans Defend Demi Moore After She's Accused Of 'Snubbing' Kylie Jenner At The Golden Globes

Actor Demi Moore won a Golden Globe Sunday night for her astonishing performance as aging aerobics star Elizabeth Sparkle in Coralie Fargeat's body horror film The Substance.

The recognition for Best Actress in a Motion Picture—Musical or Comedy was Moore's first-ever industry award since emerging as a star in the '80s and eventually becoming one of the highest-paid Hollywood actors by 1995.

Keep ReadingShow less
Anne Hathaway; Jeremy Strong
John Nacion/Getty Images, Amy Sussman/Getty Images

Anne Hathaway's Throwback Joke About Jeremy Strong's Golden Globes Look Is An Instant Classic

Succession star Jeremy Strong made a whimsical fashion statement outfitted in a white turtleneck, mint green velvet suit, and matching bucket hat at the 82nd Golden Globes on Sunday.

Strong attended the awards ceremony as a nominee for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in Any Motion Picture nominee for his performance as lawyer Roy Cohn in The Apprentice.

Keep ReadingShow less
Woman holding up balloons to celebrate her 24th birthday
Photo by Ana Tavares on Unsplash

People Reveal Their Biggest Regrets From Their 20s

It's reasonable to assume that while a person is growing up, they're going to make some mistakes and even do some things that they'll look back on and wish that they hadn't when they're older.

But one period of time a lot of people find themselves regretting is how they spent their twenties.

Keep ReadingShow less
Nikki Glaser
Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic

Nikki Glaser Reveals Risque Jokes That She Cut From Her Golden Globes Monologue

Hosting the Golden Globes is no easy feat (just ask last year's host Jo Koy), and by all accounts comedian Nikki Glaser did a bang-up job at this year's ceremony.

Glaser has never been one to shy away from controversial jokes, and the Globes were no exception.

Keep ReadingShow less