Erika Garcia | Opinion Co-Editor
Today as I looked out into the sea of college students on campus, I couldn’t help but notice the different postures and the various speeds of each individual. Some dragged their feet and appeared to be slouching, while others glided with shoulders up and back without effort. Was it due to their level of exhaustion or enthusiasm towards their next class? Maybe, but one reason I never considered (until I read an article on backpack safety) was the very thing we all carry to class: backpacks. 
According to an article in the Huffingtonpost on backpack safety “[you should] only carry 15 percent of [your] bodyweight (at most).” Sometimes, I feel like I am carrying Dora the Explorer’s backpack because, as it claims, “…all the things that you might need, I got inside for you.” I usually carry about four textbooks for my courses every day, not including the additional weight of my laptop, iPad, and various notebooks.
In our era of technology, textbooks that could easily pass for cinderblocks can weightlessly be carried on the virtual shelf of an e-book app. The solution to reducing chronic back problems is only a click away, or so we thought. The issue with the e-book market, however, is cost and availability. The cost of a printed edition when compared to the price of an electronic version is significantly lower because of the lack of competition in the current e-book market. The availability is limited to the electronic versions only being sold by the publishers of the book. Plus, a broke college student is always looking to make some money by selling their books back. It seems that convenience comes at a cost.
Although carrying your entire desk seems convenient and almost necessary, it is a terrible habit to place such extreme amounts of weight on your shoulders. The direct effects can be felt immediately after the backpack has been lifted off the shoulders later in the day. The long term effects can turn into a diagnosis like chronic back pain or spinal curvature. According to an article on CNN “The Consumer Product Safety Commission reports that 7,300 injuries were treated in U.S. emergency rooms in 2006 because of backpacks.” So what can we do?
Be proactive and plan a schedule of the books you truly need. When you do, it is also important to distribute the weight evenly by placing the heavier objects at the bottom of your backpack. For those who carry one strap purses or messenger bags, be super careful with the weight you are placing on one shoulder. Packing light doesn’t only apply to hiking or camping scenarios; it can also apply in an educational setting. With that in mind, check your backpack or place it on a scale and find out exactly what has been digging into your shoulders.
Photos by Makensie Brown
