Picture this: A man at a restaurant, immersed in a virtual world through his VR headset, unintentionally strikes his 6-year-old son with a controller, resulting in a trip to the hospital for a cut above the boy’s eye. Meanwhile, a 21-year-old on a flight finds herself whacked by a laptop descending from the overhead bin, and a 39-year-old gets into a pickle trying to remove an earbud tip from his ear with a screwdriver. And let’s not forget about countless individuals who find themselves toppling off hoverboards.
While innovative gadgets can certainly delight us, they also usher in numerous injuries every year. To understand the safety risks of the gadgets frequently on our review list, we at Gizmodo delved into tech-related injuries using 2023 data from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission’s National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS). This database tracks emergency room visits linked to various consumer products across several hospitals.
Our investigation focused on ER visits tied to beloved tech items like smartphones, drones, headphones, hoverboards, tablets, vibrators, video games, and VR headsets. Although NEISS data can provide national estimates on hospital visits due to consumer products, our dive into specific tech categories is more of an anecdotal adventure into how technology can unintentionally harm us.
When it comes to video games, our (somewhat informal) analysis suggests a stark difference in gaming mishaps. Players of regular video games often channel their anger into punching objects while VR gamers accidentally hit others. Indeed, the NEISS data revealed numerous VR users unwittingly hitting family members or even themselves during play, with more than 64% of VR emergencies being related to inadvertent punches.
Conversely, those outbursts we call rage-quits account for just 5% of injuries in non-VR gaming, often involving unfortunate targets like windows and mirrors. Seemingly graver problems, such as seizures or vision issues, make up a quarter of the non-VR gaming injuries, while repetitive strain injuries contribute another 13%. Curiously, none of the latter ailments were present in VR-related hospital trips; these were all about uncontrolled collisions or tumbles.
Hoverboards lead the pack in ER visits according to the NEISS data—proof that they’re not always as fun as they seem when you bump against furniture or hit the ground, especially on the wrists and head. Thankfully, there were no reports of these gadgets catching fire in 2023. Surprisingly, drones were the least problematic, with only nine reported incidents.
When it comes to headphones, earbuds seem more prone to misadventures, with over 70% of headphone-related ER visits due to stuck earbud tips. Falling asleep with them or attempting risky removal tactics didn’t help. Even earbud cords come with hazards, as one incident involving a hot spill showed.
Vibrators, notorious for getting stuck, were less of a problem than earbuds, as per the NEISS observations.
Phones also bring their own set of hazards, primarily from slipping grip. Around 13% of phone-related ER visits arose from dropped devices on faces, feet, or unsuspecting children. Distracted phone use led to falls and collisions during activities like cycling or walking, occasionally in dramatic fashion. For instance, one unfortunate user collided with a 9/11 memorial plaque during a distracted moment.
Lastly, laptops and tablets each come with their unique risks. Laptops generally pose more threat, being heavier and prone to falling on users, compared to tablets. Laptops are particularly hazardous in tight spaces like planes, where they tend to tumble from storage compartments. Oddly enough, the lighter nature of tablets and phones means they’re more likely to be lobbed, sometimes in familial disputes.
These insights emphasize that while our tech toys can be a source of entertainment and convenience, they’re also capable of leading us on unexpected (and occasionally hazardous) adventures. Stay safe out there!
