Spaniards Worry About the Weight of Their Children’s School Backpacks

By ⋅ March 15, 2012 ⋅ Post a comment
School backpack (Photo: mediaparker/Flickr)

School backpack (Photo: mediaparker/Flickr)

Researchers there say heavy backpacks worn by many kids these days can lead to back pain.

The study says this is especially true for girls.

Discussion

14 comments for “Spaniards Worry About the Weight of Their Children’s School Backpacks”

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=579259720 Stephen Snyder

    My daughter, who is ten, says she feels sorry for Gerry’s daughter.  Too much to carry to school!

  • Carmen_03

    I think that this really can be a problem. At our school, some people don’t use a locker, so they have to carry all of their school things in their backpack at once. Many teachers also give out books, and the weight adds up. It does cause back pain sometimes, especially if you have to carry your heavy backpack for long periods of time. Like they said, I also think it can be more of a problem for girls, because girls tend to carry alot more than boys. Gerry’s daughter, who had her backpack, sports bag, and extra binder is typical for a high school person. Not all of our books can fit in our backbacks, and for the people who play sports, they have to bring an extra bag to school. All the things we have to carry does add up the weight, and it can cause pain, I think overtime it could become a problem.

  • Sofia94

    I think that anywhere in the world weight of backpacks can take a toll on any child’s back. My sister has scoliosis and I know for a fact that backpack weights can cause scoliosis if a child is carrying their bag with one strap rather than both. Some books at my school are extremely large and I know weigh a lot and it may not cause problems now, but it may cause a serious problem for people when they age.

  • graciela_p

    This is definitely a problem that most adults don’t see. At school, we get one locker break in between classes and I really don’t think that’s enough! We have to carry the books, binders and materials for three classes and if they’re core classes that’s three books, three binders, and three sets of materials for those classes… That’s a lot for a young adult to carry on their back. I feel bad that junior high students are required to do the same thing, and scoliosis tends to form during those years. I think Gerry is right for worrying about his daughter.

  • marta6

    Siento el dolor de la hija de Gerry. Todos los días, tengo que llevar una mochila que está lleno de libros, carpetas, papeles, y otras cosas para escuela. Durante el otoño, tengo que llevar una bolsa para mi equipaje de fútbol. También, llevo una bolsa para mi ropa de gimnasio y llevo mi almuerzo. No uso un armario porque no tengo tiempo para visitarlo; llego tan tarde a escuela y quiero salir de escuela inmediatamente después del término de escuela. Para llevar todos estas cosas me causa dolor y es difícil. Deseo que hubo una manera mejor.

  • Maria94

    I agree, this is definitely a huge problem. In our school we have a locker break after every three periods I know for the first three periods of the day is usually when i have the most books in my bag. I know in the junior high kids arent allowed to carry backpacks due to violations and ext. I feel lucky to be able to use a backpack, but wish to have to carry less. It is alot to carry on a back. Overtime this will become a problem, our generation will have back issues.

  • rosa530

    Finalement, un adulto que cuida sobre este problema.  Libros, cuadernos, ropa de educacion physica, otras materiales…todas cosas suman! Yo personalmente tengo un problema con mi espalda que dice <>, y a veces es impossible para me lleva mi mochila.  Con la mochila o sin, el peso de las materiales es mas de apropriado.  Algunos estudiantes son muy pequeno y pesan un poco…con mochilas de 30lbs. 

  • Margarita63

    Pienso que esto es un problema grande.  Muchos estudiantes tienen problemas con sus espaldas porque tienen mochilas de más de veinte lbs.  Voy a mi armario solo una vez cada día.  En la mañana tengo tres libros, cuadernos, y otras cosas en mi mochila.  Pienso que los estudiantes en mis escuela y en otras escuelas también deben poder ir a sus mochilas muchas veces cada día.  Las espaldas de las estudiantes le duelen menos.  Las mochilas de los estudiantes son problemas y no deben pesar mucho.

  • Graciela22

    Yo estoy de acuerdo con este artículo.  Mi mochila es muy grande y está lleno de libros, carpetas, y otras cosas para escuela.  También, yo necesito llevar un bolso grande para mi equipaje del softbol y mi ropa para la educación física.  Yo no tengo tiempo para ir al armario y yo tengo muchos materiales para mis clases.  Es ridículo. Me duele la espalda todos los días.  En el futuro, vamos a tener problemas con los cuerpos, como escoliosis.  Es un problema grande en las escuelas.

  • estefania94

    I can see this being a part of back pain. I think the locker breaks should be like in junior high, two during the day. It’s not like we have no spare time, advisory could be taken away, or shortened. Some of the textbooks are rediculously heavy though. If one doesnt need the book for homework, they should leave it in the class.

  • Ana94

    Esto es un problema muy grande en todo el mundo. Los estudiantes tienen mochilas que pesa 20 lbs. Limpio mi mochila de vez en cuando pero después, mi mochila es todavia pesada. Si yo fuera una maestra, no daría muchos paquetes o daría libros que pesan 7 lbs. Los niños de los grados 1 y 2 y 3 tendrían muchos problemas en el futuro con sus espaldas. Toda dia me duele la espalda porque yo tengo cuadernos llenados, libros pesados y muchas más cosas para mis clases.

  • julia94

    I think that this is very true. We all have way too many book to carry on our backs trough out the school day. If we continue to carry these book around all day our backs are going to get bad. Wen we all get older out backs will be horrible and we have bad backs and problems .

  • Raquel94

    I’ve kinda had a bad back to begin with and never using a locker for all 4 years a high school is definitely taking its toll. I can handle it on a daily basis but it’s certainly felt. It’s crazy the size of the books we’re expected to carry around. Sometimes we’re able to leave it at home for when we need it and have extras in class or sometimes we can leave it in class, but not having it with us has a greater possibility of it getting lost or stolen. So we either get stuck carrying it around all the time, not having it when we need it, or the possibility of it getting stolen if left at school.

    Our school provides us with lockers but they’re like a foot wide and the rest is in hight with like one shelf and we’re expect to share lockers with each other. Not only do the areas get cramped with all the people but the person you’re sharing a locker with could take up a lot of space or be super messy or even be incredibly anal about the set up of the inside of the locker. So sometimes it’s much less of a hassel just carrying around a stuffed backpack each day of the week than dealing with all of that. Not only do I personally see that as a reason to forego using a locker, but it also saves time, especially when needing to catch a bus.

    School’s something I could rant on about for hours. But the material is actually physically damaging to our bodies even if a locker is used. The story about that girl is just ridiculous, especially with it being considered a “typical morning”. Like what is going on here? It’s crazy.

  • MateoP

    Pues, ironicamente siento que es una problema de los estudiantes en clases mas avanzada como honores o AP, porque 1) estudiantes en estes clases se importan mas sobre sacando buenas notas, asi estudian mas y llevan todas las materias con ellos, y 2) hay mas materias por estes clases en primer lugar. Hay libros, cuadernos, guias de estudiar y paquetes que estudiantes necesitan poner en sus mochilas. No es una sorpresa que dolor es el resultado. Es desgraciado que es un problema en Espana, tambien. No tuve ninguna idea que estudiantes como la hija de Gerry tuvo esta problema con sus mochilas tambien. En mi mente, hay dos posibilidades para arreglar este problema. Pienso que la usa frecuente de armarios en escuela es menos comun en colegio, asi escuelas deben instituir periodos de armario mas largo. Tambien, profesores necesitan que dar prisa que es insaludable para estes estudiantes a llevar un monton de libros, papeles, y tarea.