Look Up: What Is Tech Neck and How to Break the Screen Slouch

Your alarm clock is your phone, so you reach for it to silence the shrill sound. From there, you check out what you missed on the internet while you were asleep. As you head out for the day, you reply to some messages and scroll through your feed to kill time on your morning commute. When you get to work, you settle into a swivel chair, neck craned toward your screen. Hours pass until the day is over, and somehow, whether it’s a workday or the weekend, a screen is always part of the picture. 

This is something I’m also very familiar with—guilty of, even. That is, until I once saw a candid photo of myself, unflatteringly glued to my screen, with my neck stretched forward like a goose and my back hunched over. 

Beyond unflattering photos, being stuck to your screen may contribute to what is commonly called a “tech neck.” According to a study published in the National Library of Medicine, tech neck, especially among younger individuals, “caused by frequent bending of the neck to look at digital devices, contributes to the earlier development of horizontal neck lines.”

But the conversation around tech neck goes beyond what shows up in the mirror. To get to the bottom of it, Allure Philippines spoke with chiropractic specialist Anton Cancio, DC, CCSP, and licensed physical therapist Marie Danielle Mojal, PTRP, both of Cancio Chiropractic, to understand what tech neck really means, how our everyday screen habits can affect the body, and what we can do to move better.

What is tech neck?

“Tech neck refers to the chronic neck and shoulder pain and tension headaches that result from prolonged posture looking down at our screens,” says Dr. Cancio. He explains that repeatedly looking downward can place additional strain on the muscles around the neck and shoulders.

But the problem isn’t necessarily that you’re sitting incorrectly every second of the day. Mojal explains that “it’s usually not one bad posture, but staying in the same position for too long.”

The immediate response as you’re reading might be to sit upright like a stick is behind your back, but experts like Mojal say that “perfect posture” is not the answer—“it’s changing positions and moving regularly.” She adds, “Even good posture can become uncomfortable if you hold it for hours.”

What are the common habits that contribute to tech neck?

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“Common mistakes include a forward head position, rounded shoulders, a screen that’s too low or far away, and sitting for prolonged periods without breaks,” Mojal tells Allure Philippines. 

Dr. Cancio takes the conversation beyond the neck itself, pointing to the body’s fascial system. He defines the fascia as “the thin connective tissue that lines and covers our muscles. They can cover individual muscle fiber, an entire bundle, to an entire group of muscles and tendons.” 

And static poor posture, or simply keeping your body at a slumped position for longer periods, can affect these connective tissues “by making them stiff and sticky, and over time it can lead to thickening of the fascia, and also scar tissue formation,” he says. “When this happens, it makes it more difficult for muscles to move. Optimal muscle health is the ability of the muscle to move without restriction.”

For Dr. Cancio, this is part of why he views movement as extending beyond simply correcting the position of the head and neck. “If the fascia that surrounds it is in poor condition and loses its normal elasticity, then it will limit muscle mobility, causing strains [and] injuries, and [preventing] timely recovery.” He adds that the muscles involved in maintaining posture don’t end at the neck. “The muscles of our posterior chain can extend all the way to our lower back. Therefore, the motion of looking down involves muscle groups beyond the neck alone.”

What are the early signs of tech neck?

“Early warning symptoms include constant neck or shoulder pain and stiffness, tension headaches,” Dr. Cancio says. He emphasizes that these symptoms “don’t go away with self-care like stretching, applying warm compress, and hot shower.” He also identified trigger points that can refer to ache and numbness in other areas of the body. 

Changes in movement can also be worth noticing. “Early signs include shoulder height imbalance [and] scapular winging, especially in teenagers—when your left-to-right neck movement is not equal and feels more restricted towards one side,” Dr. Cancio adds.

Mojal similarly recommends paying attention when discomfort doesn’t resolve with basic changes in movement or positioning. “Avoid aggressive stretching or trying to crack your own neck, especially when experiencing pain or discomfort,” she advises. “If there is persistent pain, numbness, tingling, weakness, or symptoms going down the arm, it’s best to get assessed by a healthcare professional.”

Is tech neck permanent?

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Mojal cautions against thinking about tech neck in such absolute terms. “Tech neck also doesn’t automatically mean permanent damage. It’s often influenced by sustained positions, repetitive loading, strength, movement habits, stress, and lifestyle.”

Dr. Cancio, however, shares that he has become increasingly concerned about how early these habits can appear, particularly among younger patients. “One of the things that’s more concerning to me is how people’s spines are changing at a faster rate,” he says. “Adults’ spines are degenerating faster, and children are forming bad postures at a much younger age.”

In his practice, he attends to patients as young as 13 years old exhibiting these signs. “If you look around, you will notice so many young kids with poor posture. They have rounded shoulders, anterior head carriage, posterior pelvic tilts,” Dr. Cancio says.

The earlier these patterns appear, the more important it becomes to build healthier movement habits before they become the norm.

How to break the screen slouch

One of the simplest places to make a change is where you spend the most time. “First, they need to assess their workstation for proper ergonomics,” Dr. Cancio says. He recommends keeping monitors directly in front of you and at eye level, with your shoulders relaxed, elbows bent at approximately 90 degrees, and wrists straight while using the keyboard and mouse.

For people working with dual monitors, he has a specific recommendation: “Make sure to place the one they tend to favor more directly in front of them.” He also advises that laptops “can also be placed on adjustable stands, paired with bluetooth keyboards.”

How you use your phone deserves some attention, too. “Mobile phones can also be placed on a stand and positioned further away from you to avoid too much neck flexion, keeping your chin further away from your chest,” Dr. Cancio continues.

For movement exercises, Mojal recommends starting small. “Start with gentle neck and upper-back movements, shoulder rolls, and frequent movement breaks.” Dr. Cancio similarly recommends taking “microbreaks, at least every hour” and finding ways to introduce movement at the end of the day. 

His advice also extends to basic habits that support overall physical well-being. “Drink lots of water, always,” he advises. “It’s good for our circulation and the hydration of our myofascial system.”

As both experts emphasize, it’s less about maintaining a rigid posture and more about giving the body regular opportunities to move. After all, our screens may demand our attention for hours at a time, but our bodies were never meant to stay still for them. Now, consider this your sign to put your phone down.