A Pain in the Neck

Computer screens aren't the only hazards of living a tech-savvy life. Have you ever heard of "text neck"? It's a condition that causes nerve pain and headaches, and it happens to people who use mobile devices such smartphones to send lots of text messages. You might develop text neck if your head is positioned in a deep forward bend for long periods of time. This unnatural posture can cause muscle strain, back problems, and pinched nerves in the neck, shoulders, and back.

Doctors recommend that frequent texters take steps to make themselves aware of how they hold their heads while texting.

Question

How might you use your knowledge of angles and angle measurement to figure out if you're headed for a bad case of text neck?

Ask a friend to take a picture of you in your typical "texting position." Then use a protractor to measure the angle at which your head is tilted toward the screen. If the angle is more than 20 degrees, you're on your way to some text-related injuries.

To avoid text neck and other dangers of modern life, you may need to improve your ability to "read" angles quickly and accurately. The activity below will help you sharpen your skills. For each image, read the angle degrees shown by the protractor and select the correct measurement from the choices below it.