A 2025 meta-analysis of more than 10,000 participants found that excessive use of smartphones increases your likelihood of developing neck pain by 2.34, although the so-called tech hump photos confuse two very distinct conditions.
However, it can be observed from the above information that the issue of tech neck phone posture that has been made a topic of jokes in social media has an actual medical name, evidence through peer reviewed research and serious health implications beyond just having a painful neck.
According to a meta-analysis conducted in 2025, the people who misuse their phones are 2.34 times more likely to have neck pain than those who don’t use their phones excessively.
Effects of tech neck on the body
The average weight of the human head is about 4.5 to 5 kg in a tech neck phone posture. In a 30-degree anterior position — the normal posture adopted while using one’s phone while sitting in his or her laps — the load exerted on the cervical spine amounts to about 18 kg.
In a 60-degree posture, it goes up to about 27 kg. Such a load would be too much for the spine to carry on a daily basis for several hours. As a consequence of the same, the body suffers from muscular fatigue, relaxation of ligaments and, in the chronic condition, a rounded back or bone curvature near the base of the neck called Dowager’s Hump.
There is a problem with the “tech hump” content
Images that have gone viral on social media using such phrases as “phone hump” or “tech hump” always have a prominent fat pad bulge on the back part of the neck. This particular type of condition is scientifically called buffalo hump, and the causes of its development are either excess production of cortisol hormone, being overweight, or prolonged steroid usage – rather than phone posture problems. Cell phone usage does not lead to formation of fat pads.
This is because the treatment depends on whether the person has one kind of hump or the other. The buffalo hump caused by hormonal factors will need proper diagnosis and treatment while the other hump caused by poor posture is treatable through physical measures.
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Three evidence-based solutions
The mechanism for addressing this problem is quite simple. The first solution is to keep the phone in line with eye level, as opposed to looking down on the phone. In doing so, one will completely eliminate the mechanical load associated with a forward-head posture.
Another solution is to perform a movement break every 30 to 60 minutes, which will help to reset the cervical spine into its proper alignment, and give some respite to postural muscles. The third solution is to gradually strengthen the muscles in the upper back and neck.
The bottom line
The solution doesn’t involve getting rid of your smartphone. It involves using it properly and building your muscle infrastructure for support.
Nayab Fatima is a media professional specializing in fact-based journalism, research, and analytical reporting on technology, telecom, aviation, and automobiles.
