Question

Texting causes arthritis in the knuckles

Answer 1

This post/claim is very misleading. The majority of arthritis is caused by “ family history, age, obesity, previous joint history” according to the Mayo Clinic. Texting or better yet the repeated motions like texting can contribute to arthritis and cause it to have flare ups however no link between texting being the causation of arthritis has been found, according to the Arthritis Foundation. Yale Medicine found that “Many people are reporting stiffness, pain, and muscle strain in their hands—or a worsening of existing conditions, such as thumb arthritis and carpal tunnel syndrome—resulting from excessive phone use.” However  despite excessive texting causing harm to already existing arthritis there has been no direct link between texting causing arthritis in people without the existing condition. A study from UCLA Health has found there could be a link to the two issues stating ‘But experts are starting to see a connection between gripping your phone and texting with increased symptoms of arthritis in the thumbs.” however no conclusive evidence has been found yet.

All the sources I quoted are all primary sources of medical information. I would consider them unbiased. The evidence that could undermine my claim could be that texting is relatively new and could be under researched in its link to arthritis much like the UCLA health article implies. The evidence from Yale medicine, Mayo clinic, and the arthritis foundation supports my claim that texting does not directly cause arthritis. When I tried to contact the person who made the post they did not reply.  So overall no, it has not been proved that Arthritis is caused by excessive texting.

Answer 2

The claim that texting gives you knuckle arthritis is misleading. According to UCLA Health, repetitive motions associated with holding a phone and texting “add extra tension and wear on your joints, especially the thumb joints.” While the article links this wear and tear to an increased risk of arthritis in some cases, it stops short of stating that texting itself causes arthritis. Similarly, Yale Medicine explains that excessive smartphone use can aggravate existing conditions like arthritis and lead to hand pain, but emphasizes that there is no clear evidence that smartphone use directly causes chronic conditions such as arthritis. Therefore, texting may contribute to thumb joint stress, but there is not enough long-term evidence to conclude that texting directly causes arthritis, especially since smartphones are still relatively new.

Comments

I like how you showed the difference between something causing pain and actually causing arthritis. I like that you said there is not enough long term evidence because that makes the fact check feel honest. You made it easy to understand and backed it up with real research. Great fact check.

Answer 3

This claim is not very accurate but it is true that excessive phone use can cause the individual to have complaints of muscle stiffness, strain, and pain in the hand according to Yale Medicine. They quoted Ariel Williams, MD who said “Any type of hand pain, numbness, or tingling that occurs in a repetitive or predictable way may be a cause for concern,” which is true, because as a society we probably all experienced something similar. This claim in conclusion only limits it to texting which is a contributing factor to the stiffness, pain, and strain an individual might feel but it won't lead directly to arthritis, unless is consistent pain and is not treated. 

https://ym.care/bcjg

This is the link to the article by Yale Medicine. Which goes more in depth about how constant phone use can cause pain in our hands.

Answer 4

This claim is misleading. There is no scientific evidence proving that texting directly causes arthritis in the knuckles. However, frequent texting can contribute to pain, inflammation, or tendon irritation in the hands and thumbs, which may worsen symptoms in people who already have arthritis or other join issues. The claim does not cite a source, so to verify, I looked at two reliable organizations, UCLA Health and Yale Medicine. According to UCLA Health, texting does not cause arthritis, which is a chronic condition condition often related to age and genetics. The UCLA article notes that experts are "starting to see a connection" between frequent texting and increased symptoms of arthritis, but not evidence that texting creates the disease itself. Yale Medicine agrees, explaining that excessive smartphone use may cause hand pain, stiffness, or strain, and can aggravate existing conditions. However, it emphasizes that these issues stem from repetitive motion and overuse, not from texting alone. To summarize, there is not evidence to support the claim that texting causes arthritis in the knuckles. While overuse can cause inflammation or aggravate existing joint problems, arthritis itself has deeper causes.

https://www.yalemedicine.org/news/is-there-a-link-between-hand-pain-and-your-smartphone-use

https://www.uclahealth.org/news/article/can-texting-give-you-arthritis