Telecom
Cell Phones Causing Young People to Grow Horns on Skulls- Research
Researchers at the University of the Sunshine Coast in Queensland, Australia have found evidence that our frequent use of mobile devices could be causing horn-like bone spurs to appear on younger adults.
New research in biomechanics suggested that mobile phones are remolding human skeletons, possibly altering not just the behaviours but the bodies we inhabit.
According to the research, young people are developing hornlike spikes at the back of their skulls — bone spurs caused by the forward tilt of the head, which shifts weight from the spine to the muscles at the back of the head, causing bone growth in the connecting tendons and ligaments.
The weight transfer that causes the buildup can be compared to the way the skin thickens into a callus as a response to pressure or abrasion.
The result is a hook or hornlike feature jutting out from the skull, just above the neck.
In academic papers, a pair of researchers at the University of the Sunshine Coast in Queensland, Australia, argues that the prevalence of the bone growth in younger adults points to shifting body posture brought about by the use of modern technology.
They say smartphones and other handheld devices are contorting the human form, requiring users to bend their heads forward to make sense of what’s happening on the miniature screens.
The researchers said their discovery marks the first documentation of a physiological or skeletal adaptation to the penetration of advanced technology into everyday life.
Health experts warn of “text neck,” and doctors have begun treating “texting thumb,” which is not a clearly defined condition but bears resemblance to carpal tunnel syndrome. But prior research has not linked phone use to bone-deep changes in the body.
“An important question is what the future holds for the young adult populations in our study, when development of a degenerative process is evident in such an early stage of their lives?” ask the authors in their most recent paper, published in Nature Research’s peer-reviewed, open access Scientific Reports.
The study came out last year but has received fresh attention following the publication last week of a BBC story that considers, “How modern life is transforming the human skeleton.”
Since then, the unusual formations have captured the attention of Australian media, and have variously been dubbed “head horns” or “phone bones” or “spikes” or “weird bumps.”
Each is a fitting description, said David Shahar, the paper’s first author, a chiropractor who recently completed a PhD in biomechanics at Sunshine Coast.
“That is up to anyone’s imagination,” he told The Washington Post. “You may say it looks like a bird’s beak, a horn, a hook.”
However it is designated, said Shahar, the formation is a sign of a serious deformity in posture that can cause chronic headaches and pain in the upper back and neck.
Part of what was striking about their findings, he said, was the size of the bone spurs, which are thought to be large if they measure 3 or 5 millimeters in length. An outgrowth was only factored in to their research if it measured 10 millimeters, or about two-fifths of an inch.
The danger is not the head horn itself, said Mark Sayers, an associate professor of biomechanics at Sunshine Coast who served as Shahar’s supervisor and co-author. Rather, the formation is a “portent of something nasty going on elsewhere, a sign that the head and neck are not in the proper configuration,” he told The Washington Post.
Their work began about three years ago with a pile of neck X-rays taken in Queensland. The images captured part of the skull, including the area where the bony projections, called enthesophytes, form at the back of the head.
Contrary to conventional understanding of the hornlike structures, which have been thought to crop up rarely and mainly among older people suffering from prolonged strain, Shahar noticed that they appeared prominently on X-rays of younger subjects, including those who were showing no obvious symptoms.
The pair’s first paper, published in the Journal of Anatomy in 2016, enlisted a sample of 218 X-rays, of subjects ages 18 to 30, to suggest that the bone growth could be observed in 41 percent of young adults, much more than previously thought. The feature was more prevalent among men than among women.
The effect — known as enlarged external occipital protuberance — used to be so uncommon, Sayers said, that one of its early observers, toward the end of the 19th century, objected to its title, arguing that there was no real protrusion.
That’s no longer the case.
Another paper, published in Clinical Biomechanics in the spring of 2018, used a case study involving four teenagers to argue that the head horns were not caused by genetic factors or inflammation, pointing instead to the mechanical load on muscles in the skull and neck.
And the Scientific Reports paper, published the month before, zoomed out to consider a sample of 1,200 X-rays of subjects in Queensland, ages 18 to 86.
The researchers found that the size of the bone growth, present in 33 percent of the population, actually decreased with age. That discovery was in stark contrast to existing scientific understanding, which had long held that the slow, degenerative process occurred with aging.
They found instead that the bone spurs were larger and more common among young people. To understand what was driving the effect, they looked to recent developments — circumstances over the last 10 or 20 years altering how young people hold their bodies.
“These formations take a long time to develop, so that means that those individuals who suffer from them probably have been stressing that area since early childhood,” Shahar explained.
The sort of strain required for bone to infiltrate the tendon pointed him to handheld devices that bring the head forward and down, requiring the use of muscles at the back of the skull to prevent the head from falling to the chest. “What happens with technology?” he said.
“People are more sedentary; they put their head forward, to look at their devices. That requires an adaptive process to spread the load.”
That the bone growth develops over a long period of time suggests that sustained improvement in posture can stop it short and even ward off its associated effects.
The answer is not necessarily swearing off technology, Sayers said. At least, there are less drastic interventions.
“What we need are coping mechanisms that reflect how important technology has become in our lives,” he said.
Shahar is pressing people to become as regimented about posture as they became about dental hygiene in the 1970s, when personal care came to involve brushing and flossing every day. Schools should teach simple posture strategies, he said. Everyone who uses technology during the day should get used to recalibrating their posture at night.
As motivation, he suggested reaching a hand around to the lower rear of the skull. Those who have the hornlike feature can likely feel it.
Karl Toriola, chief executive officer, MTN Nigeria, has stated that the telecom company is “a Nigerian company through and through,” emphasising that it belongs as much to Nigerians as to its global investors, with over 11 million Nigerians holding indirect stakes through pension funds.
Toriola also defended the federal government’s approval of telecom tariff adjustments, noting that the move helped prevent a financial crisis in the sector and enabled the company to ramp up capital expenditure to about N1 trillion in 2025 to improve network quality.
Speaking during an interview on Arise News, the MTN boss dismissed claims that the company is solely South African, despite its origins.
According to him, MTN Nigeria is incorporated locally, listed on the Nigerian Exchange, pays taxes in Nigeria, and is largely managed by Nigerians.
“We are labelled as a South African company because MTN Group was founded in South Africa. But the reality is that MTN Group has a very diverse global shareholding. Only about 50 percent of the shareholding is African, while the rest is held by investors from North America, Europe, the United Kingdom, the Middle East and Asia-Pacific,” he said.
Speaking further on MTN Nigeria’s identity, Toriola stressed the company’s deep roots in the Nigerian economy.
“MTN Nigeria is a Nigerian company through and through. We are domiciled in Nigeria. We are listed on the Nigerian Exchange. We pay all the taxes, duties and levies expected of us, and we are run by Nigerians.
“I am Nigerian. Apart from one executive, every member of our executive committee is Nigerian, while our entire expatriate workforce in Nigeria is just four people.
“We have over 201,000 retail investors, while about 11 million Nigerians own MTN shares indirectly through pension funds. We are very proud of our Nigerian identity,” he stated.
On the recent telecom tariff adjustment, Toriola said the increase was driven by necessity rather than profit motives, noting that operators were struggling to meet basic financial obligations before the review.
“People perceived the tariff increase as an aspiration for profitability, but the reality was that we were on our knees financially. We couldn’t even pay our month-to-month bills with the revenues we were generating. The tariff adjustment was an absolute necessity. It enabled us to stay alive,” he said.
He added that the improved revenue base has enabled MTN to scale up infrastructure investments to enhance service delivery.
“In the first quarter of this year alone, we spent N390 billion on capital expenditure, compared with a profit after tax of N359 billion. That shows our commitment to improving quality of service,” he said.
Addressing concerns over poor network quality, Toriola attributed the challenges to increasing demand, infrastructure gaps, vandalism, insecurity, and unreliable power supply.
“There are people who deliberately pour petrol into our manholes and set them on fire. A single incident can knock out services for millions of subscribers. We also face security challenges that prevent our engineers from quickly accessing some sites.
“In addition, we operate about 18,000 sites nationwide, each requiring generators, batteries, rectifiers and constant fuelling because of inadequate public electricity supply. All these affect quality of service,” he explained.
While acknowledging that service quality still needs improvement, he assured customers of continued investment.
“We are not perfect, but we are investing aggressively and continuously striving to do better,” he added.
On allegations that telecom operators deliberately deplete customers’ data, Toriola said findings often point to background data usage by smartphone applications.
“There is a perception that MTN goes and takes customers’ data, but our studies have shown repeatedly that background applications are consuming much of that data.
“I encourage customers to check their device settings. Daily automatic backups are unnecessary for many users. If possible, carry out backups over Wi-Fi instead of mobile data,” he advised.
MTN Nigeria celebrated its 2026 edition of the 25 Days of Y’ello Care employee volunteerism initiative with an impact showcase held at the MTN Rooftop, Ikoyi, on Wednesday, June 24, 2026.
MTN Nigeria
This year’s edition saw employees move beyond financial donations to invest their time, skills, and even their blood [donations] into underserved communities across the country.
The impact showcase served as a reflection point on weeks of intensive outreach, including the recent medical intervention at Badore Market in Ajah, where traders received free screenings for hypertension, diabetes, and other non-communicable diseases which schools benefit from and many more.
Hundreds of market women, artisans, and residents benefited from on-the-spot consultations, medications, and health education sessions led by MTN staff volunteers.
In Lagos, the initiative brought critical health and wellness resources directly to the youth at Kuramo Senior College. Volunteers led intensive health awareness campaigns and structured medical outreach programmes, equipping students with vital information on preventive care and personal well-being.
Simultaneously, the regional execution extended to the nation’s capital to support the busy transit community at Utako Motor Park in Jabi, Abuja.
This regional activation targeted transport workers and commuters with the “Know Your Numbers” campaign, providing accessible basic health screenings, general wellness education, and essential medical checkups designed to promote long-term preventive healthcare.
Setting the tone for the ceremony, Ayham Moussa, Chief Operating Officer, MTN Nigeria, praised the dedication of staff volunteers who consistently showed up across the campaign’s field activations. “From day one, we said we don’t just give money we sacrifice, we put in the effort, we go to the field, and we even give our blood.
“Not many companies are doing what we are doing today. We are one of the very few making this kind of big impact,” he said.
Building on that sentiment, Odunayo Sanya, Executive Director of the MTN Foundation, celebrated the cultural shift the initiative has triggered both inside and outside the organisation. “The greatest takeaway from Y’ello Care is that it confronts you with your privilege and helps you channel that privilege in the right direction.
“Someone told me today that she never knew MTN would do these kinds of things in the market. We are changing the narrative of what MTN means to communities,” she noted.
The impact showcase ultimately reinforced that Y’ello Care is a sustained movement embedded in MTN Nigeria’s corporate culture. With healthier markets, empowered communities, and inspired employees as visible proof of impact, the company signaled that its commitment to equitable health and social good will continue well beyond the 25 days shaping a future where business and purpose remain inseparable.
As teens spend more time online connecting, creating, and exploring their interests, safety needs to be built into their digital experiences.
To ensure safe, age-appropriate online experiences for teens, Meta has Teen Accounts to give parents more peace of mind and address their top concerns: making sure teens see age-appropriate content and don’t experience unwanted contact.
Here are 10 ways Teen Accounts are helping create safer and more positive online experiences for young people.
Teen Accounts Are Private by Default: Teen Accounts automatically come with private settings enabled. This means teens must approve new followers, and people who don’t follow them cannot view or interact with their content. And with Teen Accounts teens under 16 need a parent’s permission to change any settings to be less strict.
Stricter Messaging Controls Reduce Unwanted Contact: Teen Accounts are automatically placed in the strictest messaging settings, allowing messages only from people teens already follow or are connected to.
Sensitive Content Is Limited Automatically: Teens are automatically enrolled in Teen Accounts and defaulted into 13+ age appropriate content settings, These settings help create a more age-appropriate experience by limiting exposure to sensitive content such as violence, graphic imagery or content promoting cosmetic procedures. Teens also won’t be able to follow, message or see accounts that regularly share age-inappropriate content, or whose profile photo, name or bio suggests the account may not be suitable for younger users.
Protections Against Bullying Are Built In: Meta automatically enables its strongest anti-bullying protections for Teen Accounts. Hidden Words filters offensive language from comments and message requests, helping create a more positive experience.
Tagging and Mentions Are More Controlled: To reduce unwanted interactions, teens can only be tagged or mentioned by people they already follow.
Screen Time Reminders Encourage Healthier Habits: After 60 minutes of daily usage, teens receive reminders encouraging them to take a break from the app and spend time offline.
Sleep Mode Supports Better Digital Wellbeing: Teen Accounts automatically switch to Sleep Mode between 10 PM and 7 AM, muting notifications and sending automatic replies to direct messages overnight.
Parents Can See Who Their Teens Are Chatting With: While parents cannot read their teen’s messages, supervision tools allow them to view who their teen has messaged over the previous seven days, creating greater transparency while respecting privacy.
Parents Can Set Time Limits and Usage Schedules: Parents can establish daily Instagram usage limits and block access during specific times, such as school hours, study periods, or overnight.
Family Center Gives Parents Resources and Support: Meta’s Family Center brings all parental tools across Instagram, Facebook, and Messenger into one hub, so parents can manage and supervise their teen’s experiences more easily. Parents can also see the topics their teen has chosen to explore, and access expert-backed resources to help them have meaningful conversations about being online.
Building Safer Digital Experiences Together
Teen Accounts are designed to help parents feel more confident about their teens’ online experiences while empowering young people to connect, create, and discover content in age-appropriate ways. Combined with parental supervision tools, Family Center resources, and digital literacy initiatives, Teen Accounts represent Meta’s ongoing commitment to creating safer online spaces for young people and their families.
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