Hovering Over a Touch-Screen Keyboard Has Its Consequences

Desktop-computer keyboards allow you to rest your hands on the keys as you type, but touch-screen keyboards, such as on many tablets, are less forgiving: They require you to keep your fingertips off the screen to avoid accidentally activating the keys. Thus the upper-back muscles that support your arms are more active when you type on a touch screen than when you use a standard keyboard, which could lead to chronic shoulder problems, according to research reported in the Wall Street Journal. The average typing speed on touch screens is also less than half that on desktop keyboards, the researchers found.