HRpedia: 'Mouse potato'
Not an obscure delicacy, but an affliction of the desk-bound
Mouse potato, n.
Realisation should hopefully be dawning, if you didn’t see it straight away with your little grey cells.
This is the 21st century equivalent of the couch potato.
We all know one, or perhaps are one ourselves. It’s an affliction that has affected humanity for all of recorded history. Cavemen would veg out in front of the fire, your grandparents probably vegged out to the wireless, and now we veg out in front of computers.
Fortunately, there are warning signs and treatment options available.
Here are some identifying markers of a ‘mouse potato’:
- Their dominant-hand index finger is unusually strong, and may even bulge with muscle.
- Their hand at rest is a claw that is holding an invisible mouse.
- Their office chair follows the curvature of their spine.
- They get fidgety after 30 minutes separated from a computer.
- They can feel an e-mail as a twinge of pain before it even arrives.
The condition is terminal (to your social life), but can be managed with early intervention. Doctors recommend shining bright lights in the eyes of sufferers, and the oral application of alcohol in a social setting.
About the author
