There are a million great things about being a geek, or at least being involved in the technologically savvy culture. There are so many opportunities to learn skills, enjoy life, meet friends, and even make money or make a career out of notably geeky things like playing computer games or being a computer program.
But there are some drawbacks, too, that often sit steadily on the physical and emotional spectrums, because of the nature of the lifestyle. You can look at things like general malaise, sore eyes, carpal tunnel, social depression, and unearned anxiety, and see that there’s a reference point for those condition within the geek culture.
General Malaise
If you find that you don’t feel good for an extended period of time, there’s probably a reason for that. Geeks, like anyone else, can go through funks for countless reasons, but geeks, in particular, have to deal with certain kinds of stress because of the nature of their typical activities. If you can’t figure out what’s wrong on your own, call a doctor, or find a doctor online to talk to about your specific conditions.
Sore Eyes
Staring at a computer screen for many hours at a time can cause eye strain quite easily if you aren’t careful. The computer screen should be a certain brightness, and a certain distance away so that you can see everything clearly without damaging your vision, but overuse at any level will eventually cause discomfort. The best solution to this is to have a consistent setup as well as taking regular breaks from the screen.
Carpal Tunnel
And the doom of many geeks, if you eventually have issues with carpal tunnel, you’re not alone. The good thing is that a lot of new computers have keyboards that don’t tickle your muscles the same way that they used to, so there isn’t quite as much of a chance of permanent damage as their used to be. Plus, we have things like wrist guards that prevent some of the micro abrasions and repetitive motion injuries of the past.
Social Depression
Though everyone occasionally goes through a bout or two of social depression, sometimes geeks have it the worst because it’s occasionally a bit of a lonely culture. You can keep yourself entertained gaming by yourself, but when you come out of the daze, it can be depressing if no one is there with you.
Unearned Anxiety
If you’re the type of geek that follows the news while you’re spending time online, you may enter the zone of fear and anxiety, feeling like the world is going to come crashing down on you. The truth is, it’s not, and if you unplug from the stressful news, you’ll find the rest of life comes a bit easier a piece at a time.