Boston University estimates that over 79 million students wear backpacks to school for academic purposes. These backpacks are filled with heavy laptops, textbooks, binders, and other essential needs for school. However, if used incorrectly carrying a backpack can be dangerous and potentially result in many lifelong problems.

According to KidsHealth, students wearing heavy backpacks for large periods of time can experience various health problems. Such weight can result in issues with sleep, headaches, scoliosis, a stunt in growth, and neck or spine damage. These factors could eventually affect student school performance. In 2010, the U.S Consumer Product Safety Commission stated a total of 28,000 backpack-related injuries occurred.

Without awareness, students would experience multiple problems and not realize that heavy backs could be the result of issues. Therefore increasing the chances of back issues in the future.

The weight of a backpack isn’t the only risk; poorly adjusted backpacks can also be the root to back problems. A backpack should never be worn loosely as it will only create tension on the back. Nor should it be worn too tightly. Such use of a backpack too loose or too tight will result in upper back pain. The National Posture Institute recommends adjusting your backpack straps so their snug. It should feel like your backpack is hugging you, but not too tight.

Instead of carrying a heavy backpack, students can get a locker. Bringing books every day can be a nuisance, but having a place to put your book makes it so much easier. Another benefit of having a locker is being able to leave your backpack in your locker after school if you don’t have homework due the next day.

Students can also throw out old notes and papers that no longer use. This will reduce the weight and prevent your binder or folder from wearing out.

This year I performed an ‘accidental’ experiment. Last semester none of my classes required me to bring a laptop; therefore, I didn’t bring it to school. However, this semester almost all of my classes require a Chromebook, so I started bringing it to school again. After a few weeks of carrying my laptop in my bag and my textbooks from English and science, I would feel a sharp pain in my lower back when I returned home, and by the third week it went from a sharp pain became constant pain until morning.

Scott Stair, a science teacher, let me use his scale to weigh my backpack. The results showed I was holding 38 pounds every day for over a month. I was baffled. My body was used to holding that much weight, and it never occurred to me to check what I have inside my bag. Even though 38 pounds may not seem like a lot, it’s a lot when you’re holding it all day. After this, I threw out my notes from the previous semester, left my textbooks at home, and adjusted my backpack correctly. By the next week, I had a small amount of pain, I was more focused on work, and mornings seemed less stressful.

Doctors recommend you carry no more than 10% to 15% of your own weight on your back, according to KidsHeath. For example, if student weighs 115 pounds, they should carry 11 to 17 pounds on their back, and a student who weighs 150 pounds should carry 15 to 22.5 pounds. Student’s shouldn’t hesitate if they think their backpack may weigh too much; it’s better to be safe then suffer something that could have been easily avoided.

“My backpack used to weigh so much, but then I took out my textbooks and binder from last semester, and now it’s really light,” said Marshall Norwood, a sophomore who is now really happy about his change in backpack weight.