Have you ever wondered exactly how much your backpack weighs? That textbook your teacher told you to keep at home (but never did), your chromebook, three binders, and books for all of your classes. The typical high schooler's backpack weighs anywhere from twenty to thirty pounds! (Kids’ Health). This might not sound like a lot, but doctors and physicians recommend only carrying ten to fifteen percent of your body weight (Kids’ Health).

This can be very damaging to your health, resulting in serious back and shoulder injury. Heavy backpacks can cause many health problems, including damage to the soft tissues in the shoulder, disturbance of posture, a curve in the spine from leaning one way, interference with circulation and nerves, and unnatural compression of the spine. If you carry a purse instead of a backpack, the same effects can happen to you. Some tips from the website Kids’ Health are:

• A lightweight pack, one that doesn't add a lot of weight to your child's load. For example, while leather packs look cool, they weigh more than canvas backpacks.

• Wide, padded shoulder straps (straps that are too narrow can dig into one’s shoulders)

• Padding: it not only provides increased comfort, but also protects kids from being poked by sharp objects or edges (pencils, rulers, notebooks, etc.) inside the backpack

• A waist belt to distribute the weight more evenly across the body

• Multiple compartments to help distribute the weight throughout the pack

Try not to disregard this vital information. Actually use it! Get rid of some of your folders that you don’t need; use your locker a bit, if you can. Use both your straps, not just one of them. Remember this information next time you buy a backpack.