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We are sofa-king screwed.
Our sedentary lifestyles aren’t just slothful; they could wreak havoc on both our health and looks. Experts at the step-tracking app WeWard have digitally imagined what we’ll look like in 2050 if we don’t change our couch potato ways — and we’ll reportedly have poor posture, premature aging, and other sitting-induced symptoms.
Dubbed Sam, this sofa goblin was devised as “a medically grounded projection of how inactivity can affect our physical appearance and overall health.” WeWard created him by sourcing data from the World Health Organization, CDC and other sources, and then feeding it into a prompt on ChatGPT.
Indeed, the prognosis is not pretty. WeWard warns that are in the midst of a global inactivity epidemic, with the World Health Organization noting that 80% of adolescents don’t meet the requisite levels of physical activity.
“In today’s culture of convenience, simple tasks like ordering food, taking work meetings, and connecting with friends can now happen directly from your couch,” WeWard writes. “Add that to the hours spent doom-scrolling on social media, and we’re spending abnormal amounts of time sitting behind a screen.”
To make matters worse, sedentary lifestyles can heighten the risk of stroke, heart disease, diabetes and cancer and even dementia.
But if the stats don’t scare you, Sam’s grotesque figure definitely will. “If you’re looking for something frightening this Halloween, look no further than what could be our future if we continue to place convenience over daily movement,” WeWard warns.
Take a load off Sammy
Sam’s sedentary lifestyle has caused him to gain weight as the unused energy from sitting — and perhaps doomscrolling — converts into fat and amasses around his midsection. Over time, this will increase his likelihood of suffering from heart disease and diabetes.
Scroll-iosis
Sam’s poor posture is no coincidence. Extended periods of sitting or hunching over screens result in a forward-titled head and curved upper back — a symptom colloquially known as “tech neck.”
The complication isn’t just cosmetic, often resulting in chronic shoulder and neck pain.
“Some researchers have suggested that frequent smartphone use can lead to the use of a non-neutral neck posture or the development of musculoskeletal disorders,” experts wrote in the journal Interdisciplinary Neurosurgery. “This flexed neck posture can increase the pain of the cervical spine and induce muscle strain in adjacent portions of the cervical spine.”
Digital age and not being easy on the eyes
Constantly scrolling social media for the latest aging inhibitors may paradoxically accelerate the process, as Sam’s haggard appearance suggests
Multiple studies have shown that blue-light exposure from screens can cause signs of “premature aging and hyperpigmentation to the skin,” WeWard writes.
Meanwhile, excessive screen time mitigates blinking and “forces the eyes to focus at one distance for too long”, resulting in “dryness, blurred vision, headaches, and difficulty focusing.”
To mitigate this ocular side effect, remote workers should employ the 20-20-20 rule. For every 20 minutes spent staring at a screen, work-from-homers should look away at something that is 20 feet away from them for 20 seconds, per Healthline.
No mean feet
Prolonged periods of sitting have slowed Sam’s circulation, causing fluids to accumulate in the ankles and feet, leading to swelling. Other complications include varicose veins, and in more serious cases, increased risk of blood clots.
In 2020, a 24-year-old UK man died due to a blood clot that he sustained after gaming for hours on end during pandemic lockdown.
This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to sofa-inducted symptoms. Other complications include joint stiffness and arthritis, hair thinning and loss, skin issues and bags around the eyes.
Sam is not scary enough to deter people from scrolling their life away on the sofa?
WeWard invited other users to upload pictures of themselves to said ChatGPT prompt to see what “your spooky future appearance could look like if you don’t start moving!”