But there is a lot of concern about nearly whole body effects by using a lap for a laptop rest.
At the most basic, a laptop being used in the lap is a set up for muscle and bone issues.
The angle and design of the laptop that makes it so wonderfully portable is also a hazard to your head, neck, wrists, and both upper and lower back.
The positioning is awkward for the wrists while typing.
And the angle that we hold our heads to type when the instrument is on our laps is hard on our next and the base of our head.
It also pulls our posture out of whack and causes strain on the upper and lower back muscles.
The more we strain these muscles, the more likely we are to seriously injure our backs during normal movement.
Another major concern is something that has been dubbed “Toasted Skin Syndrome.”
When a laptop is used heavily and doing intense work that uses a lot of energy, the internal components heat up.
There’s a fan built in that is intended to correct for this issue, but there are times we depend on our laptops to multi-task and the fan cannot keep up.
If the laptop is being used this way consistently while resting on the lap, the area underneath can develop a blotch red or pink rash.
This rash builds up over time depending on how frequently you’re using the laptop when it gets excessively hot.
For the most part, the rash is superficial issue that just looks concerning.
And thanks to how quickly our skin sheds and rejuvenates, if you stop using your lap as a laptop rest, the rash will fade away.
