tech neck

From tech (“the use of electronic devices”) +‎ neck (“physical strain in the neck due to poor posture”).

• IPA^(key): /ˈtɛknɛk/
• Rhymes: -ɛk

tech neck (countable and uncountable, plural tech necks)

1. (informal, medicine) Neck pain, stiffness, and discomfort resulting from poor posture while using electronic devices (e.g. smartphones, tablets, and computers).

   Synonyms: screen neck, text neck

   • 2023, Beth Spindler, Trauma-Aware Yoga and Movement Therapeutics for Older Adults: Managing Common Conditions by Healing the Nervous System First, Jessica Kingsley Publishers, →ISBN, page 88:

     When I finished writing my first book a couple of years ago, I noticed that the long hours spent at the computer had taken their toll in the form of radiating pain and tingling down my arms. My rheumatologist prescribed a set of strengthening exercises for my “tech neck.” Because I am a yoga therapist, they were already part of my movement vocabulary, but I wasn't practicing them frequently enough to address my issues.

   • 2026 March 12, Spencer Taylor, “Squirrels and Fat Cats” (12:16 from the start), in Animal Control‎^[1], season 4, episode 8, spoken by Zoe (Sasha Rojen):

     “Hey, girl. You are so dope. I love, I love that fit. Um... Question. And this is like super cringey. Um... Do you think you could be, like, chiller to Addy?” “Are you somebody's mom? Is somebody missing their mom?” “Nope. No, I'm not that much older than you. I'm, like, borderline big sister age.” “Maybe you need to spend less time looking up teen slang on ChatGPT because it's giving you a tech neck. Wrinkles in the front. Hump in the back. You're a humpback whale. Humpback.” [students chanting] “Humpback, humpback, humpback! Humpback, humpback, humpback! Humpback, humpback, humpback!” “What did you do?” “I hate my neck!”

2. (informal, medicine) A person experiencing such neck pain from digital device use.

   Office workers and teenagers are common tech necks in today's screen-heavy world.