Many people think the right place to put your laptop when using it is on the lap. Well, this is not true because the lap is actually the worst place you can put your laptop. Laptops emit heat as they are running; it is this heat that may have disastrous effects on your health.

For example, studies have determined that males’ fertility is greatly affected by the heat emitted by laptops. Therefore, young men are advised to spend less time on portable computers and more especially they should avoid placing them on the lap. Putting laptops on the lap not only affects your health, but is also bad for the computer. Putting a laptop on a lap can completely inhibit the exhaust fan and therefore lead to overheating.

If you are a man and you want to have children in the future, or you simply want to protect your reproductive health, this should be taken as a warning. A study to evaluate the direct effect of laptops on humans found that putting a laptop on the lap increases the mortality of sperms and cause sperm DNA fragmentation, hence causing sterilisation. Previous studies have also found that through thermal effect, the use of laptops may damage sperm; they actually heat up the scrotum.

Women cannot be exempted from the bad effects of sitting a laptop on the lap.  Scientists say this may be dangerous depending on the time and type of skin. This can cause a condition known as toasted leg syndrome. This is a skin disease where by the skin looks molted with unattractive brown colour.

According to researchers from the University Hospital Basel in Switzerland, laptop computers cause dermatosis, a permanent skin scar. Although rare, placing laptops on the lap for long periods of time may also cause skin cancer. Therefore, the lap is an area that deserves immediate and serious attention. It simply makes sense that laptops, cell phones and other wireless technology affect the human body once you understand your body is bioelectric.

By Gretha Teta, S.5 student, Gashora Girls Academy