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An American media outlet had fun scrutinizing the various visits to the emergency room due to injuries related to an electronic object. One thing is certain: technology does not only want good for us!
While they can make our lives easier or more fun on a daily basis, technological gadgets also have the power… to hurt us more or less seriously. The online media Gizmodo has recently taken an interest in technology-related accidents in 2023 by examining the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) specializes in monitoring injuries related to electronic devices, and has examined the reasons for visits to the emergency room under the microscope. Some objects are more dangerous than they seem!
Video games before sex toys!
So, at the top of the ranking are hoverboards, a cross between a skateboard and a two-wheeler, without handlebars, which are the cause, as you might expect, of many falls and fractures. They are followed by smartphones, video games, audio headsets, virtual reality systems, etc.
Despite what one might think, sex toys and vibrators (unfortunately stuck) exist, but only represent a small part of consultations. Much less than earphones stuck in the ear for example.
But what are the injuries seen in emergency rooms with these devices? Here too, the range is vast, and sometimes unexpected.
- Video games and virtual reality cause a lot of blows, intentional or not, to others, a piece of furniture, or to oneself. Video games are also responsible for epileptic seizures;
- Headphones and headsets are often responsible for ear problems, due to plastic or rubber tips stuck in the ear canal. And haphazard handling with pliers or other objects to get them out! Headphones with cords, on the other hand, can cause objects to fall;
- Mobile phones hurt us first and foremost… by falling on us, on our face (when we fall asleep), on our feet… or even on our children. The other major reason for consultation remains falling, while cycling or even walking, while looking at the phone. In rare cases, they have also caught fire;
- Finally laptopsdue to their weight, regularly injure users, when they are stored high up in the plane or train for example, and accidentally fall on the user.
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