Doctors are now using the informal term “phone body” to describe changes that follow years of hunching, squinting, and scrolling. Inc. spoke with a spine surgeon, a vision scientist, and a medical sociologist to get the fuller picture. When you tilt your head down to a screen, the muscles at the back of your neck fire to hold it up. Grip strengthThe subtlest part of “phone body” shows up in grip strength—a proxy for overall health and even longevity. “Grip strength is valuable precisely because it reflects overall strength and health, not because the hands themselves are the target,” he adds.