Get updates delivered to you daily. Free and customizable.
New York Post
TikTokers panic over viral ‘phone pinky’ deformities: ‘We all got it’
By Deirdre Bardolf,
2 hours ago
Gen Zers are pointing the finger at their cellphones as the cause of a gripping new malady victims say contorts their pinkies.
Nicknamed “phone pinky,” the syndrome refers to a bend, bump or dent sufferers say is caused by the weight of a phone when it’s resting on the fifth digit for extended periods of time.
TikTok user said she fears she has the “worst iPhone pinky” from propping her device up on her little finger. She compared her mostly straight right pinky with her extremely bent left one.
The condition blew up on TikTok in recent weeks when bent-out-of-shape influencers began sharing and comparing their little fingers, sparking the viral trend, with over 163 million posts about it so far, Bustle magazine reported .
“I fear I have the worst iPhone pinky,” TikToker kendall.rene lamented to her followers in July, comparing both hands and showing how her phone perfectly fit in the crook of her deformed finger.
“There is a NOTICABLE difference I’m hyper fixated on,” musician @Galalee captioned a video examining her indent.
“Time to take a brain break,” Florida influencer Morgan Houghton wrote on TikTok after noticing the shocking dent on her right pinky, which inspired her to get off her phone.
“We all got it,” one woman replied with a sobbing emoji to Houghton’s post.
TikToker girlboss4lyfe showed off her bent right pinky finger, which jutted out far from her other fingers.
“I think I win this trend,” TikToker girlboss4lyfe posted, showing off her severely curved pinky, which stuck out far from the rest of her appendages. Her video received 1.4 million views.
The confessions have scared some scrollers straight.
Social media users have been sharing their dented, crooked fingers, which they believe is caused by holding their cellphones for long periods of time. Galalee/TikTok
“It’s also possible that people who think they have smartphone pinky could have an underlying condition,” said Dr. Peter Evans, an orthopedic surgeon at the renowned hospital.
Propping up a phone on the pinky could compress a nerve and cause numbness or tingling, he said, and excessive cellphone use can cause a range of joint problems, including in the elbows and thumbs.
The condition is reminiscent of “Blackberry Thumb,” which sparked complaints of thumb pain and problems with motor function from using the devices that were wildly popular in the early 2000s.
TikTok user haykayzz posted a video of her crooked pinky finger on July 22. haykayzz/TikTok
Some social media users used the trend to highlight being double-jointed or having an abnormality following a bone fracture.
Some handy tips to address contortion concerns include reevaluating how you hold your phone, using a phone stand or sticking a PopSocket or similar attachment to the back of the device to make gripping it easier.
How long the condition might take to disappear depends on how long someone has had it, one expert told Bustle. Serious concerns should be taken to a physical therapist who can suggest exercises and stretches.
The obvious solution is limiting screen time. Members of Generation Z spend over six hours on their phone per day, recent studies found, while millennials are plugged in for over four and a half hours.
For the latest in lifestyle, top headlines, breaking news and more, visit nypost.com/lifestyle/
Get updates delivered to you daily. Free and customizable.
It’s essential to note our commitment to transparency:
Our Terms of Use acknowledge that our services may not always be error-free, and our Community Standards emphasize our discretion in enforcing policies. As a platform hosting over 100,000 pieces of content published daily, we cannot pre-vet content, but we strive to foster a dynamic environment for free expression and robust discourse through safety guardrails of human and AI moderation.
Comments / 0