When my daughter started school her backpack was nearly as big as her! It's really important to choose the right backpack for your children, given that most of them are lugging round a small home office these days. Here is an interesting piece supplied by Intel Australia. ......

School goes high tech!

By Intel Australia

Times are a-changing and technology really seems to be making an impact on our children’s school environment these days. Firstly, we used to lug around backpacks filled with heavy text books and more recently students have been carrying heavy text books AND a heavy laptop. You’ve got to be thinking that can’t be good for your child’s back, and you’d be right. The Chiropractor’s Association of Australia says that adult back pain and spinal disorders may stem from childhood activities including carrying a heavily loaded backpack for twelve years or more of schooling[i].

So much work seems to be done on a computer these days and laptops are getting lighter. An Ultrabook, which is a thin and light notebook computer, can weigh as little as 1kg. Now that’s better than a bag filled with text books – or having to fork out for two sets of text books so your child doesn’t have to cart them from home to school every day!

Back in our day (seriously, I thought that was something only our parents said), we didn’t have things like interactive whiteboards or school intranets, let alone back packs with built in laptop compartments and smartphone pockets. The first point of call for assignments was always the family set of encyclopaedias or the library, not the internet. Technology is really making its mark on our children’s schooling.

Kate Burleigh from Intel Australia says Ultrabook computers are a great option for students. “They are thin, light and powerful enough for older students who may be looking for a device that can last them through university. They have at least five hours of battery life, and some have up to eight hours which is plenty to get children through the school day.”

Here are some additional tips on how to prevent back pain associated with carrying heavy back packs from The Chiropractor’s Association of Australia[ii]:

• - Backpacks should  ideally be no heavier than 10% of a student’s weight when packed
• - Make sure the backpack is sturdy and appropriately sized - no wider than the student's chest
• - Put comfort and fit at the top of the priority list, rather than good looks
• - Choose a backpack with broad, padded shoulder straps
• - Use both shoulder straps - never sling the pack over one shoulder
• - Use waist straps attached - they are there for a good reason
• - Don't wear the backpack any lower than the hollow of the lower back
• - Don't overload the backpack - use school lockers and plan homework well in advance
• - Place all heavy items at the base of the pack, close to the spine, for a better distribution of weight

To download a fact sheet with more information about carrying back packs click here.

For more information on choosing the right computer for your child, visit the Intel website.