“Warning for laptop users: Do you use your netbook in your lap for extended periods of time? ”
This message appeared on Moodle to warn students about toasted skin syndrome, a disorder that causes skin discolorations after prolonged exposure to heat, most commonly from laptop use.
Technology committee member and STA parent John Rodriguez sent an article about the syndrome to principal for student affairs Barbara McCormick, who then posted it on Moodle. The Moodle notice left some students wondering about both the causes and legitimacy of the disorder.
‘When [Rodriguez] sent the article, I was surprised, because I never would have thought about [the syndrome],’Â McCormick said. ‘I have laptops at home that I used to set on my lap, but I never would have thought about that affecting my skin.’Â
Erythema ab igne, more commonly known as toasted skin syndrome, causes pink, red or brown discolorations of the skin in a sponge-like pattern. The disorder can lead to permanent darkening of the skin and occurs at heats of 111.2 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. Although doctors have only reported 10 cases of the syndrome caused by laptops since 2004, American Academy dermatologist Jeffrey Benabio, who has appeared in The Wall Street Journal, Elle Magazine and FOX5 news, highly recommends keeping something between the laptop and the skin to avoid burns.
“Extreme cases can cause cancer, but that is rare and should not be a concern for most people,” Benabio said in an email. “It is not common, but certainly is seen in dermatology clinics. It can occur in younger or older people, it just depends on if they have been using a heat source such as a hot water bottle, stove or even laptop near their skin.”
McCormick felt it important to post the article since she noticed many students setting their netbooks on their laps. Currently, she is working with Soft Choice, a company specializing in technology products, to find a solution that will prevent overheated netbooks from damaging students’ skin.
McCormick knows cooling fans and foam lap desks are available for laptops, but she has yet to find a product for netbooks. Until then, McCormick hopes students will see the warning on Moodle and avoid placing their netbooks on their laps.
‘Sometimes we don’t always think about our health when using netbooks,’Â McCormick said. ‘We don’t always think about if where we place our netbooks affects our vision, or if the way we position our hands affects our health. We need to think about these things. We need to think about how our health is affected based on use or misuse of the netbooks.’Â
