Smartphone Usage Can Lead to Head Lice: Everything You Need To Know

Until a few decades earlier, children used to play self-made games and toys to entertain themselves during playtime. But with the passage of time and growth of digital technology, smartphones have replaced toys across the world. Where once children used to find solace in playing pretend with dolls, the urge is now has not only offered a one satisfied with a single tap on a screen. The widespread use of smartphones -stop solution for many human needs but unfortunately has also contributed to lice outbreaks among children. Now if you see a group of children huddled together, it’s probably not a clay model in creation but a smartphone keeping them hooked with visuals and sounds. Even though teamwork helps overcome challenges like making a word at a game of scrabble or solving a puzzle, but it can be a serious risk to the wellbeing of your scalp. Clustering together allows these tiny critters to travel from head to head, thereby infesting every head in close proximity. Here’s all you need to know to prevent that.

What The Numbers Look Like

A study was conducted on a group of 200 youngsters, out of which one group used a smartphone and the rest didn’t. The study revealed that using smartphones with twice the likelihood of a lice infestation. This is no coincidence that out of the 98 participants who were not exposed to smartphones, only 30% showed signs of head lice. This, compared to the 104% participants in the smartphone-using group who displayed clear signs of an infested head establishes a strong relation between smartphone usage and head lice.

How it Happens

When we say that smartphone usage is a leading cause behind the spread of head lice, it is not to say that the screen has anything to do with it. It has more to do with behavioral changes that come with it than the gadgets themselves. Here are some common behavioral patterns that are associated with the spread of head lice among smartphone users.

• Sitting close together in the form of a group, with heads close to each other or in direct contact.
• Lying down close to each other while sharing the same pillow.
• Taking selfies that spread social media lice through physical closeness or bumping heads.

Who is Most Affected

In order to establish stronger correlations, a survey was conducted to see if there were more details that revealed which groups of smartphone users were most affected. It gathered data on hair length, socioeconomic status and gender. Results showed that the occurrence of head lice was most common among 4 to 11 year olds. However they had no impact on the length or type of hair; each could be equally infested with head lice. We’re a lice removal company operating in many parts of the US, including Florida, Texas and California. Get in touch if you think your child may be at risk of head lice.